Human Factors Specialists Research Articles

Expectation Changes and Team Characteristics in a Participatory Design Process

A human factors specialist researched the expectations of a culturally and professionally diverse team throughout a year long participatory design process of a large processing facility. For a deeper understanding of high-level team expectations and characteristics, the specialist collected data and information through in-situ ethnography and traditional case study methods, personal interviews, and a questionnaire that included a likert scale rating for expectation levels. Results found that expectation levels rated extremely satisfied for individual team members and the overall team itself before and during the participatory process. In contrast, expectations for upper management from the team were satisfied before the participatory process, but changed to uncertain, to unsatisfied, to extremely unsatisfied during the process. Additionally, the participatory design team exhibited high-level team characteristics to include honesty, competence, commitment, communication, creativity, and clear expectations.

Expectation Changes and Team Characteristics in a Participatory Design Process

A human factors specialist researched the expectations of a culturally and professionally diverse team throughout a year long participatory design process of a large processing facility. For a deeper understanding of high-level team expectations and characteristics, the specialist collected data and information through in-situ ethnography and traditional case study methods, personal interviews, and a questionnaire that included a likert scale rating for expectation levels. Results found that expectation levels rated extremely satisfied for individual team members and the overall team itself before and during the participatory process. In contrast, expectations for upper management from the team were satisfied before the participatory process, but changed to uncertain, to unsatisfied, to extremely unsatisfied during the process. Additionally, the participatory design team exhibited high-level team characteristics to include honesty, competence, commitment, communication, creativity, and clear expectations.

Complementary contributions of basic and applied research in human factors and ergonomics

Basic research and applied research are often presented as in opposition in human factors and ergonomics, as well as in science in general. We argue that the two are complementary, as illustrated by the fact that many human factors specialists have advanced the field by conducting both basic and applied research. We describe the work of Paul Fitts, a pioneer in human factors. Although Fitts’ main interest was designing effective interfaces for military aircraft, this interest led him to investigate processes of response-selection and motor control in basic research. For many problems, a multi-method approach that draws on the unique benefits of various research methods is best. Also, researchers who emphasise one approach need to make efforts to understand alternative viewpoints and open lines of communication with those who take other approaches. Increased communication among individuals with diverse backgrounds, interests and training will facilitate advancement of the field.

Collaborative co-design of emerging multi-technologies for surgery

The EU Research Training Network on Augmented Reality in Surgery (ARIS*ER) was established with two aims: (1) to develop next-generation novel image guidance (augmented reality based on medical images) and cross-linked robotic systems (automatic control loops guided by information sensed from the patient) and (2) to educate young researchers in the user-centred, multidisciplinary design of emerging technologies for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and intervention radiology. Collaborations between engineers, Human Factors specialists, industrial designers and medical end users were foreseen, but actual methodologies had to be developed. Three applications were used as development vehicles and as demonstrators. The resulting teamwork and process of indentifying requirements, finding solutions (in technology and workflow), and shifting between these to optimize and speed development towards quality of care were studied. The ARIS*ER approach solves current problems in collaborative teams, taking a systems approach, and manages the overview of requirements and solutions, which is too complex to manage centrally.

Case Transfer: A Design Approach by Artifacts and Projection

Introduction Understanding the needs and wants of users is widely believed to be essential for design; also widely accepted is that various groups of professionals are specialized in studying users. For example, the human-factors specialists study usability—mainly physical and cognitive usability, although some1 emphasize emotion and experience as well. The social and behavioral scientists focus on people’s psychological, social, and cultural needs and wants.2 User study is conducted not only after the fact, to test and evaluate usability of products and services, but also at the “fuzzy front end,” to determine what to design.3 The latter is often referred to as “design ethnography,” ”new product ethnography,” or ”user experience study,” and it has received much attention in design scholarship and literature.4 Design ethnography aims to obtain knowledge about the culture of users to discover their needs and desires—especially the “latent” ones. Typically, the design process begins with a rapid ethnographic study of users and use contexts. Study results then form the basis of design requirements by which designers might create innovative products or services. In this article, we call into question this current practice and received view on design ethnography and the design process. We argue that the default practice of first-user-study-then-design is conditionally useful: It is most suitable for a design context that is relatively determined. We also propose that when the design context is highly undetermined, a design project might begin with projecting new, possible alternatives instead of studying the users. Based on Peirce’s abduction, his semeiotic and some quasi-experiments, we further present an approach we call transfer to exemplify our proposal. The sectors of design practice, education, and research have been fairly serious about user study, design ethnography, and the like for the past decade and more. These models can of course be useful and should be taught and practiced. However, in our opinion, they have overshadowed the projective competence, without which nothing new can be imagined. We mean the generative capacity to conceive and synthesize future systems, situations, or artefacts. While there is an abundance of research, discussions, and interest in user study approaches and methods, a parallel development in projective competence has not taken place.5 The aim of our examination is to re-open a forgotten path for design and design research: namely,

Endoclamp Balloon Visualization and Automatic Placement System

Aortic occlusion is one of the most important open discussions in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. Different techniques can be employed, and all have benefits and drawbacks. The objective of our work is to improve the safety of internal aortic occlusion with the Port Access technique, which employs an endoclamp balloon catheter. We propose a combined information and positioning system based on augmented reality technology and robotics in which the position of the balloon can be seen at all times and can be automatically controlled by a robotic actuator. The system was designed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers, medical doctors, and human factor specialists in a human-centered design approach. We measure the balloon position in real time with a magnetic tracking system. This position is superimposed on a 3-dimensional scan of the patient's thorax, with the balloon in the artery shown at all times. The position measurement is also used to control the robotic catheter inserter that places and maintains the balloon position at a specified target. The system was evaluated in 2 user studies that compared it with other visual aids. The user tests have shown that the system effectively supports the surgeon in the placement task, with an increase in placement accuracy and a reduction in time compared with the current visualization technique. The users also rated the system as supporting them well. The clinical feasibility of the system was proved. The system provides better visualization and position control and can effectively increase the safety of the procedure. This system has the potential of making Port Access a more attractive technique.

Cost‐effectiveness of ergonomic interventions in production

AbstractEarly cost–benefit analysis of ergonomic interventions in manufacturing is in the interest of the production management and the ergonomics specialist. Because of the variety of factors and the complexity to quantify these factors, this task is not an easy one. In this article we present a case study that illustrates that the economic benefits of ergonomics may easily overwhelm the costs because of the gain in productivity and quality, not to the economic gain associated with improved health. Finally, we propose a decision tool that addresses the relevant factors in the cost–benefit analysis of ergonomics. It gives Internet support to company managers and human factor specialists to make an economic analysis prior to the start of an ergonomic intervention project. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Visual conspicuity: A new simple standard, its reliability, validity and applicability

A general standard for quantifying conspicuity is described. It derives from a simple and easy method to quantitatively measure the visual conspicuity of an object. The method stems from the theoretical view that the conspicuity of an object is not a property of that object, but describes the degree to which the object is perceptually embedded in, i.e. laterally masked by, its visual environment. First, three variations of a simple method to measure the strength of such lateral masking are described and empirical evidence for its reliability and its validity is presented, as are several tests of predictions concerning the effects of viewing distance and ambient light. It is then shown how this method yields a conspicuity standard, expressed as a number, which can be made part of a rule of law, and which can be used to test whether or not, and to what extent, the conspicuity of a particular object, e.g. a traffic sign, meets a predetermined criterion. An additional feature is that, when used under different ambient light conditions, the method may also yield an index of the amount of visual clutter in the environment. Taken together the evidence illustrates the methods' applicability in both the laboratory and in real-life situations. Statement of Relevance: This paper concerns a proposal for a new method to measure visual conspicuity, yielding a numerical index that can be used in a rule of law. It is of importance to ergonomists and human factor specialists who are asked to measure the conspicuity of an object, such as a traffic or rail-road sign, or any other object. The new method is simple and circumvents the need to perform elaborate (search) experiments and thus has great relevance as a simple tool for applied research.

A Roundtable Discussion … Increased Focus on Human Factors Drives Device Safety Improvements

<i>A Roundtable Discussion</i> … Increased Focus on Human Factors Drives Device Safety Improvements

3DUI-EF: Towards a Framework for Easy Empirical Evaluation of 3D User Interfaces and Interaction Techniques

Designing usable and effective 3D User Interfaces and 3D Interaction Techniques is very challenging for Virtual Reality system developers and human factors specialists. Indeed, time consuming empirical evaluation is necessary to have an idea about the goodness of the 3D User Interface (3DUI) and the 3D Interaction Technique (3DIT) at the end of their development lifecycle. This may induce a huge loss of time if the result appears not to be satisfying in the end. Moreover, 3DUI evaluation is much more complex than 2D User Interfaces evaluation which is due to heterogeneous Virtual Reality (VR) devices and 3DIT. The aim of this work is to provide a framework allowing developers and experimenters to quickly evaluate 3DUIs and 3DITs during the design and the development lifecycle. The proposed framework is divided into two tools. The first one enables to create an evaluation protocol based on a knowledge database using two data mining algorithms, the "C4.5" to avoid from impossible combinations between devices and indicators and the "Spv Assoc Tree" to build a decision tree between indicators and factors. The second tool of the framework is an Evaluation Virtual Environment (EVE) to perform the evaluation according the protocol created with the first tool.

Model Integrating Assistive Technology Use and Human Performance for People with Disabilities

The ageing workforce and returning veterans have generated a heightened awareness of the need to accommodate people with disabilities in the workplace. A critical factor in developing useful accommodations is being able to accurately quantify the abilities of the person and the demands of the environment. Human factors specialists are often involved with measuring human capabilities and environmental factors with the aim of improving human performance. However, the use of assistive technology (AT) is typically not considered in the development of such assessment models. This paper presents a theoretical framework for the integration of AT into a process model for assessing human performance.

Using a Knowledge Elicitation Method to Specify the Business Model of a Human Factors Organization

Concept Mapping was used to structure knowledge elicitation interviews with a group of human factors specialists whose goal was to describe the business model of their Department. This novel use of cognitive task analysis to describe the business model of a human factors organization resulted in a number of Concept Maps on topics such as Department strengths and weaknesses, strategic plans and partnerships, and ambitions and goals. This work might be seen as a prototype for how other human factors organizations might brainstorm their activities, progress, and goals.

Using a Knowledge Elicitation Method to Specify the Business Model of a Human Factors Organization

Concept Mapping was used to structure knowledge elicitation interviews with a group of human factors specialists whose goal was to describe the business model of their Department. This novel use of cognitive task analysis to describe the business model of a human factors organization resulted in a number of Concept Maps on topics such as Department strengths and weaknesses, strategic plans and partnerships, and ambitions and goals. This work might be seen as a prototype for how other human factors organizations might brainstorm their activities, progress, and goals.

Integrating the SE and HCI models in the human factors engineering cycle for re-engineering Computerized Physician Order Entry systems for medications: Basic principles illustrated by a case study

Objectives The integration of Human Factors is still insufficient in the design and implementation phases of complex interactive systems such as Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems. One of the problems is that human factors specialists have difficulties to communicate their data and to have them properly understood by the computer scientists in the design and implementation phases. This paper presents a solution to this problem based on the creation of common documentation supports using Software Engineering (SE) and Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) methods. Method The integration of SE and HCI methods and models is an interesting means for modelling an organization's activities, with software applications being part of these activities. Integrating these SE and HCI methods and models allows case studies to be seen from the technical, organizational and ergonomic perspectives, and also makes it easier to compare current and future work situations. Results The exploitation of these techniques allows the creation of common work supports that can be easily understandable by computer scientists and relevant for re-engineering or design. In this paper, the basic principles behind such communication supports are described and illustrated by a real case study.

The Need for Human Factors in the Sustainability Domain

Curbing the over-harvesting of the earth's resources by the developed and developing world cannot be achieved solely by technological solutions. This paper reviews the literature on how reductions in energy consumption can be achieved through behavioral interventions. The literature shows that feedback, a consequence intervention, has been shown to be more effective than antecedent interventions in correcting erroneous heuristics and biases as well as encouraging both efficiency and curtailment behaviors. However, few feedback studies approach the feedback design problem systematically. Human Factors specialists have an opportunity to contribute their expertise in human-machine systems to help address these deficiencies and aid in shifting our societies toward sustainable resource consumption.

A Student Conference for Human Factors: Recommendations for Success

Giving effective oral presentations is an important skill for human factors specialists. Student research conferences can give human factors specialists-in-training the opportunity to practice presenting their human factors projects and research. These conferences maintain the professional qualities of larger, national conferences for professionals, while offering a less expensive and supportive atmosphere for students still developing their skills. Holding a student conference requires some careful planning and effort. Potential stumbling blocks include a lack of resources and a lack of student participation. Fortunately, a variety of strategies to overcoming these barriers exist. These range from reducing the conference costs by using existing resources, to enlisting student help in planning, and to accepting a variety of genres of presentation material. This paper discusses the notion of student research conferences, barriers to holding a student conference, and recommendations for those interested in holding a meeting of this nature.

Aging and Human Performance

I identify major theoretical and practical contributions to aging and human performance as reflected primarily in the pages of Human Factors. Populations worldwide are aging. True experimental work on aging is not possible because age levels cannot be manipulated. Sophisticated theoretical frameworks and modeling techniques are required to reach valid inferences about age effects and age changes. Citation analysis was used to identify articles in Human Factors dealing with age or aging and to rank them for citation impact. Special issues on aging were followed by increased publication rates for articles on age or aging, particularly in the 1990s. Most-cited articles deal primarily with age and driving. Applied contributions rely on improved measurement of performance and on methodological advances, including simulation and modeling. Design changes that provide environmental support for declining cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor abilities can serve as a powerful intervention for maintaining and improving older adult performance. Training is also a robust way to improve performance at both the basic ability level and the level of task performance. Human factors specialists can improve quality of life for an aging population. Guidelines for older users are now being developed by standards bodies and are implemented in domains such as Web design. Much of the focus of human factors research has been on improving efficiency in the performance of aging adults in the workforce, but reducing errors and increasing comfort and satisfaction in health-related activities should receive greater attention.

Human Factors and Education: Evolution and Contributions

The major contributions of human factors to education are highlighted. Over the past 50 years, the education of human factors specialists has evolved, as well as the application of human factors and ergonomic knowledge to education. Human factors and ergonomics professional documentation and literature were reviewed to identify major events relevant to human factors education or the application of human factors to education. Human factors education has evolved from training in experimental psychology to highly specialized accredited human factors programs and a number of undergraduate programs, leading to program accreditation and the certification of professionals. In addition, human factors specialists have applied their knowledge to human factors education and, more recently, to educational systems in general. The greatest focus has been on technology such as multimedia. Others have evaluated the design of the physical environment, focusing primarily on seating. The research also often targets undergraduate or graduate education. Therefore, it has been proposed that a greater focus is needed at the K-12 educational level, especially given the advancement and implementation of technology in the classroom. Human factors and ergonomic expertise can benefit the educational system. Yet, there is a need to constantly evaluate the benefits of new technology in the classroom as well as the environmental design aspects of the educational environment while considering learners of different age groups, ethnicities, and sexes. Better application of human factors and ergonomics to the learning environment could enhance the educational experience for all learners.

Claims Analysis "In the Wild:" A Case Study on Digital Library Development

One of the long-standing challenges in human-computer interaction has been the integration of usability evaluation methods within design practice. In the work reported here, the question of how to include user concerns within an unstructured, system-focused development process was investigated. The project looked into the use of Claims Analysis as a method for assessing the effects of design decisions on users' experience. Claims Analysis was found to be more difficult than expected to learn, to communicate to systems developers, and to apply effectively in practice. The work has highlighted a tension between user-centered and function-oriented design approaches and differences in values and perspectives between the human factors specialists and traditional developers involved in the study.

Nature of human error: implications for surgical practice.

As the attitude to adverse events has changed from the defensive "blame and shame culture" to an open and transparent healthcare delivery system, it is timely to examine the nature of human errors and their impact on the quality of surgical health care. The approach of the review is generic rather than specific, and the account is based on the published psychologic and medical literature on the subject. Rather than detailing the various "surgical errors," the concept of error categories within the surgical setting committed by surgeons as front-line operators is discussed. The important components of safe surgical practice identified include organizational structure with strategic control of healthcare delivery, teamwork and leadership, evidence-based practice, proficiency, continued professional development of all staff, availability of wireless health information technology, and well-embedded incident reporting and adverse events disclosure systems. In our quest for the safest possible surgical health care, there is a need for prospective observational multidisciplinary (surgeons and human factors specialists) studies as distinct for retrospective reports of adverse events. There is also need for research to establish the ideal system architecture for anonymous reporting of near miss and no harm events in surgical practice.