The Evolution of the Systems Approach in Human Factors Engineering: From the Viewpoint of an Engineering Psychologist

Abstract

The history of human factors engineering is traced from the beginnings of mankind through the several phases of the industrial revolution. An attempt is made to show that as man's interactions with other elements (organic and inorganic) increase, so increases the need for the development of a body of principles of specific and general utility in the conceptualization, design, manufacture, test, and use of modern systems. In addition, the recent history of human factors discloses a progression in application from retrofit and detailed design to the current stage of sophistication, which considers men and machines in support of conceptual design. This progression in human factors neatly parallels the need for a more nearly universal theory of systems that is capable of handling the inputs from all the sciences and engineering disciplines that contribute to the establishment and operation of modern complex systems.