Human Loads

human operator

dual human-machine

physiological

effort measure (cardiac frequency, cardiopneumologic, anthropometry)

etology, direct observation, observation with instruments, operation fluxograma, enviromental measures: noise, temperature, space, movment time methods, security practices, incident diagramma, system models, complex parametrization)

psychological

charge, proofs, problems solving, participative observation, operators models, norms, interviews

review, interview, questionary, physical measures, norms and rules, prescribed tasks, risk analysis, failure diagnosis.

Workings Conditions Study Methods

research dimension

historio-metric

psychometric

psycho-biographical

comparative

qualitative

necessarily quantitative

necessarily quantitative

almost always qualitative

almost always qualitative

multiple cases

usually large N

usually large N

always N = 1

always always small N

nomothetic

usually nomothetic

usually monothetic

almost always idiographic

usually nomothetic

confirmatory

most often confirmatory

most often confirmatory

most often confirmatory

most often exploratory

cross sectional

both types common

mostly cross-sectional

always longitudinal

usually cross-sectional

micro macro-analytical

all types common

almost always individuals

almost always individuals

usually individuals

direct

always indirect

always direct

usually indirect

always indirect

A Partial List of Measurements and Assessment Error Sources

R.L. Thorndike (1949)

Paul et al. (1986)

R. Nelson (1972)

Test-taking skills

Ability to comprehend instructions and items

Response sets

Health

Fatigue

Motivation

Stress

Set for a particular test

Examiner characteristics

Carelessness

Fatigue

Boredom

Information overload

Emotional strain

Attention shifts

Equipment failure

Variations in lighting and temperature

External distractions

Motivation

Valence

Instructions

Type of behavior

Timing

Schedule fo self-monitoring

Type of recording device

Number of behaviors concurrently monitored

Methods of Analysis in Human Factors

phase

retrospective (to event)

prospective

previous

anthropological, historical, sociological, biobliograpical, organization, environmental

psychocreative processes, pannel of indicators, futurology, tree of hypothetical consequences, norms of proceedings, table of truth

previous contemporaneous

semoiotic, failure analysis (AMDE)

hypothetical tree, probability calculus, checklists, diagram of success, causal tree

accident

causal tree, description of preliminaries to events (circumstances)

tree of complications, combined summary of failures, description of the treatment of an accident

residual

faults analysis

posterior

normation

Energetic cost of activities

cost (W/kg)

cost (W/kg)

cost (W/kg)

cost (W/kg)

0.4

eating, reading, quietly, writing

1.2

dish-washing, typing fast

2.7

doing heavy carpentry

5

horseback riding

0.6

playing card, standing relaxed

1.4

washing floors

3

cleaning windows

5.1

playing ping pong

0.7

paring potatoes, office work, playing violin

1.5

cello playing, light laundry

3.1

cleaning with upright vacuum cleaner

5.8

dancing rumba, playing tennis

0.8

dressing-undressing, lnitting asweater

1.6

riding a walking horse, sweeping bare floor with broom golf, organ playing,

3.5

dancing the waltz

6.6

sawing wood (hand saw)

0.9

singing in loud voice

1.7

painting furniture with brush

4.1

ice skating

7.9

playing football

1

driving a car tailoring

1.9

sweeping with hand, carpet sweeper

4.5

weeding a garden

8.9

fencing