The contemporary world is indeed an information society. Computer technologies pervade virtually all aspects of human life today: at home, in hospitals, at school, in the office, or in the industries. More and more novel technologies continue to be added on the already existing ones. While the technological aspects are important, the human factors in the development of the software sued in these technologies have been overlooked. Human factors are an essential aspect of the software development process in order to ensure user safety, and ease of use. However, there has been a lot of attention on the technical aspects of the software development process at the expense of the human aspect. This paper examines the human-computer interaction aspect or the human factors involved in computer science, and particularly in software engineering. The paper will first define what human factors or human-computer interaction is, then a brief historical account of this field before looking at its importance.
Definition of Human Factors and Brief History of the Concept
Human factors is a scientific field that deals with the understanding of interactions between humans and other aspects of a system and the application of theories, data, principles and methods of design with the aim of maximizing human safety and the general system performance. In essence, human factors are generally concerned with the human-computer interaction, as well as ergonomics (Bannon, 1991). Human factors field is interested in the fit between the system, the user, and their environments. It considers the user’s capabilities and limitations in ensuring that tasks, roles, information and the environment are suitable for every user. Human computer in...
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The first human factors problem I identify is the sparking electric night-light. It is the cause of the fire and thus it is definitely had the design problem from the aspect of human factor. Next is the design of installation of steel security bars at each and every window. Although the design of the steel security bars is to protect the residents of the house, it has a fatal disadvantage which is limited the escape action of the residents. The case study proposed a solution to it which is panic hardware. However, the house only installed one set of panic hardware and this indicated another human factor problem that occurred in setting up the security system of the house. Moreover, the one and only set of panic hardware in the house was required to be stomp harder for activation. This reflected poor human factor design of the panic hardware.
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Overall, there is a total of 9150 failure rate for 47 selected assembly tasks in the factory. Among all of the load levels, the low level has the lowest total action costs in the plant and in the market, with the value amounted up to 39,860.82 SEK, which only covers 6.6% of the overall loss. It is very significant in amount compared to moderate and high load level, where they loss an amount of 377,593.19 SEK (62.3%) and 188,715.93 SEK (31.1%) respectively. This proves that applying high human factors initiative would significantly reduce the loss amount of the company and hence profits the operators.
The aim of this essay is to analyse four theoretical approaches to psychology, including psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive and behavioural. Analysing each approach in detail and identifying key features the approach uses to explain human behaviour. This essay will also analyse how successful each approach is in it methods, evidence gathering techniques and analyse how it can be applied to giving reasons for particular human behaviours. As well as analysing each approaches failings in it theories, methods and evidence gathering techniques.
Wisner, Alain. The Etienne Grandjean Memorial Lecture: Situated Cognition and Action-Implications for Ergonomics Work Analysis and Anthropotechnology. Ergonomics, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995, Vol. 38, No.8, Pgs. 1542-1557.
Office ergonomics as is the case with other disciplines in ergonomics all emerged in the 1940s during the world war (McCormick and Saunders 1993). Difficulties arouse from soldiers inability to handle technical equipment produced for the war due to physical incompatibility or lack of understanding of the equipment and when the advancements in technology was transferred to the civilian populous after the war, the same problems in human-machine system incompatibility were observed. This led to a study by military personnel, academics psychologists and physiologist all researching on solutions to the complications arising from the operation of the machines (Kumar and Cohn, 2013).
Human beings are at times lazy, they always look for the easy way to everything, so they use shortcuts in all parts of their life including their professional one. But, when employees take shortcuts while accomplishing their tasks, especially when working with chemicals or complex machinery, often they put themselves at risk of being injured or dying. Further, a worker’s personal and professional life are linked, so if he or she is stressed, it might affect their ability to concentrate, which causes
...introduced to all these facts, it is clearly visible that graphical user interfaces played a major role in the development of modern society, and its relations with computing, and IT. Introducing the GUI in the early 1980s did in fact make computers and digital devices more accessible to people, often with no knowledge of computers, and revolutionized the way, in which media and information function today. The GUI has further made the abstract Information Technology more friendly towards a regular user, by allowing user customization of the work environment, and hence, made computers an integrated part of our lifestyle, work and leisure. Finally, because GUI is an inseparable of the most common computer work environments, it has become an element of our compulsory education, which just concretes its role as both facilitator, and prompter of social and life changes.
Physical security cannot be wholly successful without the human factor element and the active support of these user groups. For example, when the aim is to protect a critical facility from attack or to provide access control for an office building it is necessary to engage people on the proper use of any security systems that are in place, for instance security alarms. If the alarm goes off and employees have no idea what it signifies
... The use of work sampling can supplement the use of time studies and save time and resources. Human factors have had a tremendous influence on work design. Ergonomics plays a major role in the ways industrial engineers design the work to fit the human operators. In doing so, they can elevate the worker’s well-being and the entire system performance. A time study is still a useful tool with the goal of increasing efficiency that should include the additional objective of providing a safe and healthy work environment. (Muchinsky 2009)