Human Factors & Behavioral Science Flashcards

Which research method is MOST appropriate when an ergonomist wants to understand how experienced workers actually adapt procedures in a real work environment?

Answer: Ethnographic field observation and contextual inquiry

Ethnographic observation and contextual inquiry reveal how work is actually performed—including adaptive strategies—rather than how it is prescribed.

The Yerkes-Dodson Law describes the relationship between arousal and performance as:

Answer: An inverted U-shape—optimal performance at moderate arousal levels

The Yerkes-Dodson Law states that performance peaks at moderate arousal and declines at both very low (under-arousal) and very high (stress/anxiety) levels.

In human factors, 'mode error' most commonly occurs when:

Answer: An operator executes an action appropriate for a different system mode than the one currently active

Mode error happens when the operator's mental model of the current system mode differs from the actual mode, leading to actions that are correct for the assumed mode but wrong for the actual one.

Which of the following is a primary advantage of using a between-subjects design over a within-subjects design in ergonomics experiments?

Answer: Eliminates order and carryover effects between conditions

Between-subjects designs prevent carryover effects (learning, fatigue, or practice from one condition affecting another), which is critical when conditions could contaminate each other.

The concept of 'affordance' as applied by Norman to design refers to:

Answer: The perceived and actual properties of an object that suggest how it should be used

An affordance is a relationship between an object's properties and a user's capabilities that signals how the object can be acted upon (e.g., a button affords pressing).

In the context of fatigue countermeasures for shift workers, which intervention has the STRONGEST evidence base for improving alertness during night shifts?

Answer: Bright light exposure during the night shift combined with darkness during day sleep

Strategic bright light exposure during night work shifts circadian phase while avoiding light during day sleep promotes entrainment, making it the most evidence-supported intervention for night-shift alertness.

Which macroergonomics approach emphasizes analyzing the organization as a sociotechnical system where social and technical subsystems must be jointly optimized?

Answer: Sociotechnical Systems (STS) Theory

Sociotechnical Systems Theory, developed at the Tavistock Institute, holds that neither the technical system nor the social system alone should be optimized in isolation—both must be designed together.