ENGINEERING PSYCHOLOGY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Understanding the PURPOSE of engineering psychology

Understanding human factors in performing task with tools in

everyday life

Understanding the purposes and relationship of tools, work space,

safety priority, and automation design for human at work place

Understanding the advantages of human over machine

Understand the role and impact of robots in the workplace.

Understand and explain the factors that should be considered in

the design of a computer work station.
ENGINEERING PSYCHOLOGY
The design of machines and equipment for human
use, and the determination of the appropriate
human behaviors for the efficient operation of the
machines.

Also called:
Human factors
Human engineering
Ergonomics
History and Development
Prior to 1940, engineers made machines without considering the human
factor (consultancy of psychologist) causing many accidents.

WW II weaponry was complex but did not perform up to expectations, thus

giving rise to engineering psychology.

Three Mile Island nuclear incident at TMI-2 in 1979 about poor design of
controls that NTSB added engineering psychologists to its staff to study
human error contributing to air accidents.

Human factors research resulted in safer automobiles, including redesigns of

headlights, brake lights, and tinted windows.

Other areas of effort include license plate visibility, signage, cell phone use
while driving, driver aggression, and mailbag design. Ergonomics has net
gains of 1 to 12% over the costs of human factors interventions.
Engineering Psychology is a
Hybrid
Membership of the Human Factors and Ergonomics
Society includes:
- Psychologists
- Engineers
- Medicine
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Computer sciences
- Other behavioral and physical sciences
Time and Motion Study
An early attempt to redesign work tools and to reshape
the way workers performed routine, repetitive jobs
F.W. Taylor (1898), of scientific management fame,
performed first empirical demonstration of the
relationship between work tools and worker efficiency
Introduced shovels of different sizes for handling different
materials
21 1/2 pounds(9.76kg) was the most efficient load at a U.S. Steel
company study
Saved the company $78,000 per year
Time and Motion Study
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were interested in the
mechanics of job performance to eliminate unnecessary
motion
Started with improving the efficiency of bricklaying
Increased rate of bricklaying from 120 to 350 bricks an
hour by reducing motions from 18 to 5
The basic unit of motion was the Therblig (Gilbreth
spelled backwards)
Gilbreths had 12 children their lives were depicted in
the movie Cheaper by the Dozen
More info at http://gilbrethnetwork.tripod.com/front.html
Efficiency Rules for Manual Jobs
Minimize reaching distance of tools from worker.

Symmetrical movements of both hands.

Hands should never be idle except during breaks.

Hands never do tasks that can be performed by other parts of

body.

Work materials held by a vice when possible, instead by hand

Workbench height sufficient to stand or sit on high stool

alternating reduces fatigue.
Person-Machine System

A system in which human and mechanical components operate

together to accomplish a task.

Human operator receives input on machine status from the displays.

Such systems vary in the extent to which the human operator is

actively and continuously involved.

Humans remain important components of automated manufacturing

systems.

Automation makes the engineering psychologists job more

demanding as monitoring machinery is more monotonous than
actually operating it.
Person-Machine System
Allocating Functions.
Engineers first carefully analyze each process in the
functioning of the total system to determine its
characteristics.

Speed, accuracy and frequency with which it is

performed.

Stress under which process will occurs.

They then make decisions regarding man - machine

division of labor based on relative strengths and
weaknesses of each process.
Machine Strengths
Detecting fatigue beyond human sensory capacities.

Monitoring reliably for lengthy periods.

Making large numbers of rapid, accurate calculations.

Storing and retrieving vast amounts of information.

Applying continuous and rapid physical force.

Engaging in repetitive activities.

Machine Limitations
Not very flexible.

Cannot learn from errors.

Cannot improvise.

When operators only monitor, disastrous results can

happen. e.g., bored pilots or subway drivers

However, full automation is dangerous as systems can fail

no intervention available without human monitor.
 Automation: reduce the Human role
Commercial airline pilots have become so dependent
on automation that poor manual flying skills and
failure to master the latest changes in cockpit
technology
two-thirds of the pilots either had difficulty manually
flying planes or made mistakes using flight
computers.
poor situational awareness or inability to grasp what
their instruments and automated systems are telling
them
Source:
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100014240527023044398045792042025262880
42
Principles for Workspace Design
All materials should be placed in order in which they will be
used so paths of movements will be continuous.

Tools should be pre-positioned for use

All parts and tools should be within comfortable reach

Greater than about 28 inches causes unnecessary

repositioning and consequent loss of efficiency and increased
fatigue to worker.

Japanese 5S methodology provides efficiency and avoid

accidents and being apply worldwide.
Other Design Considerations
Heights of all working surfaces should be adjustable.

Hand tools should be designed for use without

bending wrists.

Hammers with angled handles work better.

Properly designed tools affect productivity,

satisfaction, and physical health.
e.g., reduction of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Ergonomic Pliers
Human Anthropometry
A branch of engineering psychology concerned with
measurements of the physical structure of the body, including:
Height standing and sitting
Shoulder breadth
Back height
Chest depth
Foot and hand length
Knee angle
Data used to design work area dimensions and arrangement.
Note: Average body measurements vary by culture
e.g., Chinese have longer torsos and shorter legs than
Germans.
Visual vs Audio
Visual Displays Auditory Information

Visual presentation is most Auditory presentation most

appropriate when message
is:
long, difficult and abstract
Environment is too noisy for
auditory signals
Auditory channels are
overloaded
Multiple kinds of information
to be presented
simultaneously.
effective when:
Information is short, simple,
and straightforward.
Message is urgent.
Environment is too dark for
visuals.
The operators job requires
moving to different
locations.
Quantitative Visual Displays
Quantitative displays present a precise numerical
value such as speed, altitude or temperature.
Two ways to present: Analog Displays or Digital
Displays
Digital display can be read faster with fewer errors,
but cannot be used in all situations. e.g., if
conditions are rapidly changing, or need to know
direction of change.
Qualitative Visual Displays
Qualitative displays present a range rather than a
precise numerical value. e.g., red area hot green
area normal yellow area cold
Consistent patterning makes multiple displays easier
to read.
Used in aircraft cockpits.
Unpatterned displays force operator to read each dial
separately and these make slower decisions.
Check Reading Visual Displays
Check reading displays sometimes referred to as
go/no go which tells operator whether the system is:
On or off
Safe or unsafe
Normal or abnormal
Warning light most common
Twice as bright as background
Centered in field of vision
Flashing
Auditory Displays
Auditory displays can be more compelling than visual
because:
Ears always open.
Multi-directional.
Visual often taxed to capacity.
Problem with nuisance alarms.
If alarms are too sensitive or occur too frequently,
they are often ignored.
At Canadian nuclear power plant, >50% of alarms
did not provide useful information.
Tactile Displays
Tactile communication is through the skin senses
(e.g., Braille, written language for blind people)
Research has been conducted for 50 years, but
interest in the topic lagged
New tactile devices now being developed(touch
sense resulted the touch screen technology.
Vibrating vest that writes messages on wearers back
can be used where visual or auditory communication
is not available or advisable (e.g., on battlefield)
Guidelines for Controls
Control-body matching :
Most rely on hands and feet.
No one limb should be given too many tasks.
Hands more precise.
Feet exert more force.
Control-task compatibility :
A control action should imitate the movements it produces.
Turning steering wheel right makes right turn.
When possible, combining controls that perform similar or related functions is more
efficient.
Identification of controls.
Controls should be clearly marked or coded.
e.g., shape coding for touch recognition
Placement of controls :
Consistency and uniformity is important
Consider cultural influences on preferences
Emergency controls in line of sight, clearly distinguishable and protected with a cover
to avoid mistake.
Group related controls and displays mush according to function
Human Factors in Healthcare
Time and motion studies radically changed procedures in
hospital operating rooms.
Nurse selects and places correct tools in Doctors hand.
Many functions now automated (e.g., IV pumps, bar-
coding of medications) but still must be monitored by
humans.
Robotic surgery doctors use computer to send
commands to robot surgical tools.
More precise, less invasive, and smaller incisions.
Robotic dummies now used for medical student training.
Human Factors in Everyday Life
Human factors no longer confined to tanks, airplanes and
work areas.
Telematics deals with wireless information technology
such as GPS, Satellite radio, and automatic collision.
notification systems.
Examines cell phone use while driving to minimize
distractions and prevent accidents.
4 times likelier to be in a crash when on cell phone.
Use of auditory signals to alert drivers they are too close
to another car, or warn pilots of collision.
Sharpened ice cream scoops and ergonomic spatulas to
reduce carpal tunnel.
Human Factors and Computers
Poorly designed computers and work stations produce
strain and discomfort also eyestrain and blurred vision,
fatigue and pain in wrists, hands, shoulders, neck & back.
Equipment factors causing problems include:
Screen size
Degree of character flicker
Character generation rate
Levels of illumination and glare
People read slower on computer than paper
Computer mouse has been redesigned to reduce movement
Layout of Computer Workstation
Layout of Computer Workstation
Human Factors and Robots
Valuable for repetitive tasks, finding defects, and in jobs
with exposure to toxic chemicals and biohazards.
Displaces human workers and supervisors.
Introduction of robots changes nature of the work
surrounding them as part of a person-machine system.
Robots appearing in service industries as security guards,
medicine dispensers and guides, as well as assistants to
physically disabled workers.
ASIMO, a robot built by Honda, conducted the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra on May 15, 2008