See also The Human Factor (disambiguation).

"Human Factors" (HF) is a catch-all term that covers;

• The science of understanding the properties of human capability (Human Factors Science).

• The application of this understanding to the design and development of systems and services (Human Factors Engineering)

• The art of ensuring successful application of Human Factors Engineering to a programme (sometimes referred to as Human Factors Integration (HFI) )

The term "human factors" is to a large extent synonymous with the term "Ergonomics" having separate origins either side of the Atlantic but covering the same technical areas: however nowadays the terms are used more or less interchangeably.

Introduction

Simply put, human factors involves the study of all aspects of the way humans relate to the world around them, with the aim of improving operational performance, safety, through life costs and/or adoption through improvement in the experience of the end user.

The terms "human factors" and "Ergonomics" have only been widely known in recent times: the field's origin is in the design and use of aircraft during World War II to improve aviation safety. It was in reference to the psychologists and physiologists working at that time and the work that they were doing that the terms "applied psychology", "applied psychologist" and “ergonomics” were first coined.

Other terms used to describe the discipline and their related professions are;

• Human Factors > Human Factors Practitioner

• Ergonomics > Ergonomist

• Human Factors Engineering > Human Factors Engineer

Sub-disciplines or specialisations within this field include;

• Cognitive Ergonomics > Cognitive Engineer

• Usability > Usability Engineer - Usability Professional

• Human Computer / Human Machine Interaction > HCI Engineer

• User Experience > User Experience Engineer

This is not an exhaustive list and new terms are being generated all the time. For instance “User Trial Engineer” may refer to a HF professional that specialises in user trials. Although the names change HF professionals share a underlying vision (see “the Human Factors Community’s Vision”) that through the application of HF the design of equipment, systems and working methods will be improved and therefore have a direct effect (for the better) on people’s lives.

Human factors practitioners can come from a variety of backgrounds; though predominantly they are Psychologists (Cognitive, Perceptual, and Experimental) and physiologists. Designers (Industrial, Interaction, and Graphic), Anthropologists, Technical communication Scholars and Computer Scientists also contribute. Though some practitioners enter the field of Human Factors from other disciplines, both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Human Factors Engineering are available from several universities worldwide.

Human Factors Science

"Human Factors" are sets of human-specific physical, mental and behavioral properties which either may interact in a critical or dangerous manner with technological systems, human natural environment and human organizations, or they can be taken under consideration in the design of ergonomic human-user oriented equipments. The choice/identification of human factors usually depends on their possible negative or positive impact on the functioning of human-organization and human-machine system.

The human-machine model

Human Factors Engineering

"Human Factors" also is the name of an engineering profession that focuses on how people interact with tasks, machines (or computers), and the environment with the consideration that humans have limitations and capabilities. Often, human factors will study the human within the system to ensure that we understand the limitations of the human within the current structure, product, or process. Human factors engineers will evaluate human to human, human to group, or human to organizational interactions to better understand the phenomena associated with these interactions and to develop a framework for evaluation.

Human Factors Integration

Areas of interest for human factors practitioners may include: training, staffing evaluation, communication, task analyses, functional requirements analyses and allocation, job descriptions and functions, procedures and procedure use, knowledge, skills, and abilities; organizational culture, human-machine interaction, workload on the human, fatigue, situational awareness, usability, user interface, learnability, attention, vigilance, human performance, human reliability, human-computer interaction, control and display design, stress, visualization of data, individual differences, aging, accessibility, safety, shift work, work in extreme environments including virtual environments, human error, and decision making.

The Human Factors Community’s Vision

K Tara Smith defined the Human Factors Vision as:

The belief that well-trained people should work and live in a safe environment, using well-designed, usable products. The Human Factors community achieves this by providing practical and innovative solutions that:

• Have low user risk

• Are user-friendly

• Avoid the need for expensive redesign

• Are compliant with standards and legislation

• Have the lowest possible training requirement

To help work towards achieving this vision, the HF Community have a wide range of ergonomics and human factors tools and methods, that are based on the applying the principles of human psychology and physiology to the design of equipment, systems and working methods.

Human factors

Introduction

Human Factors Science

The human-machine model

Human Factors Engineering

Human Factors Integration

The Human Factors Community’s Vision

External links

Organizations

Agencies

European

United States

Projects

External resources

See also