Human Factors in Work Design

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  1. Describe what psychologists have learned about human factors in work design.

‘Human factors in work design’ refers to a specialty area of I/O psychology concerning the design and development of tools, machines, work systems and workplaces, such that their characteristics correspond with the skills and abilities of the worker. This answer will focus on the efficient design of ‘operator-machine systems’ and the workspace.

A primary concern for human factors psychologists is the design of ‘operator-machine system’, which is the two-way interaction between workers and tools, collaborating to perform a task. Chapanis (1976) has provided an outline of the various elements of the operator-machine system: the human system of the operator-machine system comprises of sensing, information processing/decision-making and controlling; whereas, the machine system consists of controls, operation and displays.

In the following paragraphs, each element of this interaction will be explored in detail.  

   

In the initial step of the interaction, the machine communicates information regarding its operational status to the operator on mechanical devices called displays. Displays are of several types, one of which is the visual display. The visual display can provide detailed and complex information to the operator. It can take one of three forms: quantitative (that gives precise numerical values), qualitative (that provides characteristics of machine operation) and check-reading (that indicates whether a machine system is on or off or functioning normally or abnormally). Visual displays are adequate for use in such as situations when a long or complex message or one that does not require immediate attention needs to be conveyed. Also, they are used in work situations in which the operator will be focused on the displays and in environments too noisy for auditory displays.

Human factors psychologists adhere to three basic principles when placing and arranging visual displays as both factors greatly influence their effectiveness (Wickens et al., 1995). First, visual displays must always be in the line of sight of the operator to ensure that the operator receives the information and work performance is not compromised. Second, displays providing related information should be grouped together. Third, displays that need to read sequentially should be placed in reading order.

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Auditory displays, which can be as basic as buzzers or as advanced as computer-generated ‘synthetic speech’, are primarily used to provide warnings. They are used in situations where visual displays are not adequate, i.e., when an urgent message or one that is continuously changing (as is the case with aircraft flight path information) or one that deals with a specific moment (such as a gun fired to start a race) needs to be conveyed. They are also ideal for work situations in which the operator needs to move in all directions and in dark environments where visual information would ...

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