Human Factors & Behavioral Science Flashcards

Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) research by Klein suggests that experienced decision makers in field settings primarily use which strategy?

Answer: Recognition-primed decision making

Klein's Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) model shows experts rapidly match situations to familiar patterns and mentally simulate the first plausible action rather than comparing alternatives.

In human reliability analysis, the Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP) uses which primary data source?

Answer: Human Performance Reliability Database (HPRD) from nuclear industry studies

THERP relies primarily on the HPRD compiled from nuclear power plant operations to derive nominal human error probabilities for task elements.

A worker consistently performs a task correctly under low load but makes errors when multitasking. This best illustrates which concept?

Answer: All of the above can contribute

Dual-task performance degradation can stem from resource competition (Wickens' Multiple Resource Theory), structural bottlenecks (at response selection), and perceptual narrowing under stress.

The 'Hawthorne Effect' in ergonomics research is a concern because it refers to:

Answer: Behavior changes in participants who know they are being observed

The Hawthorne Effect is the tendency for people to modify their behavior when they know they are being studied, which can confound research results.

Which of the following is the BEST example of an 'ecological interface design' principle?

Answer: Mapping system constraints directly onto visual affordances so operators can perceive system state without calculation

Ecological Interface Design (EID) maps work domain constraints onto display geometry so that control laws become visible as perceptual invariants, reducing cognitive load.

Crew Resource Management (CRM) training in aviation primarily targets which class of human factors problems?

Answer: Communication, teamwork, and authority gradient failures

CRM emerged from accident analyses showing that most aviation accidents involved breakdowns in interpersonal communication, team coordination, and inappropriate deference to authority.

In prospective memory research, which type of prospective memory failure is most likely in ergonomics contexts involving suspended tasks?

Answer: Habitual intrusion where a completed intention is repeated

Habitual intrusion—resuming an interrupted routine from a habitual step rather than the interrupted point—is a documented cause of accidents after suspended or interrupted tasks.