Definitions important to human factors & ergonomics

(based on Intro to HF)
Ergonomics is the study of human performance and its application to the design of technological systems. The goal of this activity is to enhance productivity, safety, convenience and quality of life. Example topics include models and theories of human performance, design and analytical methodology, human-computer interface issues, environmental and work design, and physical and mental workload assessment.

Areas of Ergonomics

Physical ergonomics
- Anthropometrics or Anthropometry
  Excellent information about anthropometry can be found at the following ErgoWeb WWW sites:
  http://ergo web.mech.utah.edu/Pub/Info/Data/anthro.html
  and
  http://ergowe b.mech.utah.edu/Pub/Osha/Appb/add4.html
  As Konz (1995; p. 110) points out, the term anthropometry comes from the Greek anthropos (man) and metrein (to measure). The following sentences from Sanders & McCormick (1992) define anthropometry and engineering anthropometry for us: "Anthropometry deals with the measurement of the dimensions and certain other physical characteristics of the body such as volumes, centers of gravity, inertial properties, and masses of body segments. ... There are two primary types of body measurements: Static and dynamic (functional). What is sometimes called engineering anthropometry is concerned with the application of both types of data to the design of things people use." (pp. 415-415)
- Biomechanics
- Health and Safety
Issues
- How are people physically part of a system?
- How can we design better systems to interact physically with people?
Automotive ergonomics: Making sure that the driver can reach all of the controls, see and understand the dashboard displays, and feel comfortable in the seat.
- Ergonomics in the Automotive Industry
Cognitive ergonomics
- Human performance theory
- Engineering Psychology
  - Engineering psychology, more commonly called human factors, applies knowledge of human behavior and attributes to the design of products, equipment, machines, and large-scale systems for human use. Areas of application include biomedical engineering, environmental design, safety, consumer product design, and computer interface design.
- Behavioral decision theory
Issues
- How are people mentally (cognitively) part of a system?
- How can we design systems to support better mental functioning?
Macroergonomics is concerned with the research, design, development, and application of organization-machine interface technology. Macroergonomics is the third generation of ergonomics, where the first generation was characterized by human-machine interface technology and the second generation was characterized by user-interface technology. Macroergonomics or "human-organization-environment-machine interface technology" has emerged in order to interface organizational design with technology to optimize human-system functioning. Macroergonomics is a top-down sociotechnical systems approach to the design of organizations, work systems, and jobs and considers four interrelated subsystems: the personnel subsystem, technological subsystem, organizational structure and the external environment. The goal of macroergonomics is a fully harmonized work system at both the macro- and micro-ergonomic level which results in improved productivity, job satisfaction, health and safety, and employee commitment.
- Systems theory
- Organizational Psychology
Issues
- How do organizational constraints affect human-machine systems
- What factors come into play when people work together in groups?
Space Human Factors: Designing systems that are "user friendly" for space exploration.
- NASA Space Human Factors Branch
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