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Books > Professional & Technical > Technology: general issues > Technical design > Ergonomics
The application of probability and statistics to an ever-widening number of life-decisions serves to reproduce, reinforce, and widen disparities in the quality of life that different groups of people can enjoy. As a critical technology assessment, the ways in which bad luck early in life increase the probability that hardship and loss will accumulate across the life course are illustrated. Analysis shows the ways in which individual decisions, informed by statistical models, shape the opportunities people face in both market and non-market environments. Ultimately, this book challenges the actuarial logic and instrumental rationalism that drives public policy and emphasizes the role that the mass media play in justifying its expanded use. Although its arguments and examples take as their primary emphasis the ways in which these decision systems affect the life chances of African-Americans, the findings are also applicable to a broad range of groups burdened by discrimination.
This volume presents research from a variety of perspectives on the enhancement of human intelligence. It is organized around five themes - enhancement via instruction; enhancement via development (over the life cycle); enhancement over time; enhancement via new constructs; and new directions in enhancement.Three key issues are addressed: First, although most of the scientific research on intelligence has concerned what it is, this volume attends to the consequential societal and economic issue concerns of whether it can be increased, and how.Second, intellectual enhancement is particularly important when targeted to minorities and the poor, groups that have typically performed relatively less well on intelligence and achievement measures. This volume reflects the education community's ongoing interest in understanding, and attempting to close, achievement or test score gaps.Third, most of the attention to examining intellectual enhancement, and in accounting for and closing the test-score gap, has focused on general cognitive ability. In line with the current emphasis on considering intelligence from a wider perspective, this volume includes constructs such as emotional and practical intelligence in definitions of intellectual functioning.Extending Intelligence: Enhancement and New Constructs is an essential volume for researchers, students, and professionals in the fields of educational psychology, intelligence, educational measurement and assessment, and critical thinking.
Safety of Sea Transportation is the second of two Conference Proceedings of TransNav 2017, June 21-23 in Gdynia, Poland. Safety of Sea Transportation will focus on the following themes: Sustainability, intermodal and multimodal transportation Safety and hydrodynamic study of hydrotechnical structures Bunkering and fuel consumption Gases emission, water pollution and environmental protection Occupational accidents Supply chain of blocks and spare parts Electrotechnical problems Ships stability and loading strength Cargo loading and port operations Maritime Education and Training (MET) Human factor, crew manning and seafarers problems Economic analysis Mathematical models, methods and algorithms Fishery Legal aspects Aviation
The 12th International Conference on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation (TransNav 2017) will take place on June 21-23 in Gdynia, Poland. Main themes of this conference include: electronic navigation, route planning, mathematical models, methods and algorithms, ships manoeuvring, navigational risks, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Automatic Identification System (AIS), marine radar, anti-collision, dynamic positioning, visualization of data, hydrometereological aspects and weather routing, safety at sea, inland navigation, autonomous water transport, communications and global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS), port ant routes optimum location and magnetic compasses.
This volume presents a scientific and practical trend in lifelong education, which focuses on "human activity". This trend is particularly apparent in French speaking countries where a seminal tradition of ergonomics, born in the middle of the 20th century, produced studies about work and workers' activity in various contexts. Results demonstrate that working activity, firstly, is always complex, creative and enigmatic despite the efforts done by the designers to create prescribing working environments and by managers to control production procedures, and secondly, cannot be understood without specific field studies about real work. This approach influenced adult educational researchers and trainers to develop programs in order to help trainers to better know human activity and its transformations in various social practices (and not only in working context). It also helps them to design learning environments accompanying human activity transformations at various time scales. The chapters in this volume present a range of original studies on human activity in various social practices, such as tourism, theatre prop-makers in opera, manual job environments, management in a small company, high level athletes illegal practices, school teaching and finally during teachers retirement ceremonies. These studies of the relationships between social practices and human activity and its transformations, give empirical and conceptual bases for designing programs aimed at emphasizing and accompanying specific individual and collective learning, and human development in a lifelong perspective. This book was published as a special issue of International Journal of Lifelong Education.
This special issue contains essays regarding the CHI '95 conference, which featured a panel titled, Discount or Disservice? Discount Usability Analysis: Evaluation at a Bargain Price or Simply Damaged Merchandise? Wayne Gray, who organized the panel, presented a controversial critique of studies that had evaluated various usability evaluation methods (UEMs). The level of interest in this discussion led Gray to propose a review article that dealt with the issues in a more systematic fashion. The resulting essay, written by Gray and his collaborator Marilyn Salzman, conducted an in-depth review of a series of influential studies that used experimental methods to compare a variety of UEMs. Gray and Salzman's analysis was framed using Cook and Campbell's (1979) well-known discussion of various forms of validity. They used this to evaluate numerous details of these comparative studies, and they concluded that the studies fell short on the criteria by which good experimental studies are designed and interpreted.
This book is a new interdisciplinary work which presents the
proceedings of the third international conference on Vision in
Vehicles, the aim of which was to provide an international forum
for the exchange of information on current work on all aspects of
vision and its relationship to vehicle design. This includes both
the internal and external design of the vehicle and its
environmental displays, as well as the perceptual and cognitive
capabilities of the vehicle controllers.
Technology is our conduit of power. In our modern world, technology is the gatekeeper deciding who shall have and who shall have not. Either technology works for you or you work for technology. It shapes the human race just as much as we shape it. But where is this symbiosis going? Who provides the directions, the intentions, the goals of this human-machine partnership? Such decisions do not derive from the creators of technology who are enmeshed in their individual innovations. They neither come from our social leaders who possess only sufficient technical understanding to react to innovations, not to anticipate or direct their progress. Neither is there evidence of some omnipotent 'invisible hand,' the simple fact is that no one is directing this enterprise. In Mind, Machine and Morality, Peter Hancock asks questions about this insensate progress and has the temerity to suggest some cognate answers. He argues for the unbreakable symbiosis of purpose and process, and examines the dangerous possibilities that emerge when science and purpose meet. Historically, this work is a modern-day child of Bacon's hope for the 'Great Instauration.' However, unlike its forebear, the focus here is on human-machine systems. The emphasis centers on the conception that the active, extensive face of modern philosophy is technology. Whatever we are to become is bound up not only in our biology but critically in our technology also. And to achieve rational progress we need to articulate manifest purpose. This book is one step along the purposive road. Drawing together his many seminal writings on human-machine interaction and adapting these works specifically for this collection, Peter Hancock provides real food for thought, delighting readers with his unique philosophical perspective and outstanding insights. This is theoretical work of the highest order and will open minds accordingly.
South Asian Buddhism presents a comprehensive historical survey of the full range of Buddhist traditions throughout South Asia from the beginnings of the religion up to the present. Starting with narratives on the Buddha's life and foundational teachings from ancient India, the book proceeds to discuss the rise of Buddhist monastic organizations and texts among the early Mainstream Buddhist schools. It considers the origins and development of Mahayana Buddhism in South Asia, surveys the development of Buddhist Tantra in South Asia and outlines developments in Buddhism as found in Sri Lanka and Nepal following the decline of the religion in India. Berkwitz also importantly considers the effects of colonialism and modernity on the revivals of Buddhism across South Asia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. South Asian Buddhism offers a broad, yet detailed perspective on the history, culture, and thought of the various Buddhist traditions that developed in South Asia. Incorporating findings from the latest research on Buddhist texts and culture, this work provides a critical, historically based survey of South Asian Buddhism that will be useful for students, scholars, and general readers.
New Ergonomics Perspective represents a selection of the papers presented at the 10th Pan-Pacifi c Conference on Ergonomics (PPCOE), held in Tokyo, Japan, August 25-28, 2014. The first Pan-Pacific Conference on Occupational Ergonomics was held in 1990 at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan. The main theme of the PPCOE 1990 was "Searching for Solutions to Occupational Problems." The successful meetings have taken place in 1990 (Kitakyushu, Japan), 1992 (Wuhan, China), 1994 (Seoul, Korea), 1996 (Taipei, Taiwan), 1998 (Kitakyushu, Japan), 2001 (Beijing, China), 2004 (Cairns, Australia), 2007 (Bangkok, Thailand) and 2010 (Kaohsiung, Taiwan). After two decades of collective endeavors, the conferences have established globally recognized excellence in scientific and professional contributions. Now, PPCOE activities are entering a new stage after a quarter century of history. Fortunately, participants of the PPCOE Final in Tokyo are eager to take a first step on the road to its rebirth: the establishment of a new, mature PPCOE. PPCOE pursues ergonomics as a practical science, covering a broad spectrum of up-to-date and comprehensive ergonomics issues. This book was organized into six thematic chapters, including Aging and Occupational Safety, Workplace Ergonomics, Occupational Ergonomics, Healthcare and Special Populations, Human Computer Interaction and Current Issues and Ergonomics Approach.
Preparation and Restoration is the second volume of Resilience Engineering Perspectives within the Ashgate Studies in Resilience Engineering series. In four sections, it broadens participation of the field to include policy and organization studies, and articulates aspects of resilience beyond initial definitions: - Policy and Organization explores public policy and organizational aspects of resilience and how they aid or inhibit preparation and restoration - Models and Measures addresses thoughts on ways to measure resilience and model systems to detect desirable, and undesirable, results - Elements and Traits examines features of systems and how they affect the ability to prepare for and recover from significant challenges - Applications and Implications examines how resilience plays out in the living laboratory of real-world operations. Preparation and Restoration addresses issues such as the nature of resilience; the similarities and differences between resilience and traditional ideas of system performance; how systems cope with varying demands and sometimes succeed and sometimes fail; how an organization's ways of preparing before critical events can enable or impede restoration; the trade-offs that are needed for systems to operate and survive; instances of brittle or resilient systems; how work practices affect resilience; the relationship between resilience and safety; and what improves or erodes resilience. This volume is valuable reading for those who create and operate systems that must not only survive, but thrive, in the face of challenge.
The new realities of airline travel came into full focus after the September 11 terrorist attacks. These horrific events escalated air rage incidents by 400%, but more importantly they put the entire airline industry under the spotlight. In subsequent years, the general public began to voice frustrations with the industry in very dramatic ways, a marked shift in consumer behavior from that of before 9/11. The International Transport Workers Federation responded with a call to action to bring about major changes to raise the airline industry to a level of service quality sufficient to meet the needs of 21st Century passengers. The quality of services that airline customers expect and the propensity toward air rage needs to be understood. Undoubtedly, some passengers are prone to air rage by factors in no way related to customer service. However, a better understanding of the customer's perception of service and airlines' offerings is one way of addressing the air rage crisis, combating the contributing factors long before they conspire to provoke a damaging incidence. Anger in the Air: Combating the Air Rage Phenomenon provides airlines with valuable input to help them better meet the service expectations of their customers and avoid instances of air rage on their flights. What do today's customers need and expect? What do airline customers perceive as the quality of services and how can the gap be closed between expectations and perceptions? The book addresses these key issues in five stages: 1.
Applied Ergonomics is a concise text focusing on the practical applications of ergonomics and is derived from the annual, ground-breaking, successful conference of the same name. This is not a conference proceedings but a text of applications, filling a niche in the ergonomics professional market for a book that is strong on the applications side of the field rather than the purely academic. This book covers a range of topics related to applications in engineering, medicine, and health & safety, and incorporates a number of case studies and examples. The book is split into a number of thematic sections which focus on support and service jobs, ergonomics in the office, health management and design. Within these sections are chapters on the use of the Internet, ergonomics programs, and the economics of ergonomics. Those involved with the application of ergonomics techniques will find this collection both informative and interesting.
Risky Work Environments provides new insights into the multiple and dynamic trajectories of both near misses and mistakes in complex work environments, based on actual case examples. It also studies the interactions between various activity systems or work practices (design, maintenance, incident investigation, regulation, operation) and their consequences for operational performance. The role of rules and regulations is explored, considering the consequences of deviations and the limitations of enforced compliance. Further, the book explains how to search for, think about and act on information about vulnerability, near misses and mistakes in a way that emphasizes accountability in ways that are not punitive but instead responsible, innovative and provide opportunities for learning. Writing from different disciplines and theoretical perspectives, the contributors analyse working in risky environments which include air traffic control, offshore mining, chemical plants, neo-natal intensive care units, ship piloting and emergency call dispatch centres. In each chapter the authors present rich empirical data and their analyses illustrate a variety of ways in which, despite imperfect systems, safety and resilience is created in human action. In the chapters where the focus is on error or mistakes, the analysis undertaken reveals the logic of actions undertaken at the time as well as their constraints. The contributors are all active researchers within their disciplines and come from Australia, Finland, France, Norway and the Netherlands. The book will be of direct interest to safety scientists, researchers and scientists, as well as human factors practitioners working in complex technological systems.
Since Canis lupus familiaris first shared a fire with man more than 15,000 years ago, dogs have been trusted and valued coworkers. Yet the relatively new field of canine ergonomics is just beginning to unravel the secrets of this collaboration. As with many new fields, the literature on working dogs is scattered across several non-overlapping disciplines from forensics and the life sciences to medicine, security, and wildlife biology. Canine Ergonomics: The Science of Working Dogs draws together related research from different fields into an interdisciplinary resource of science-based information. Providing a complete overview, from physiology to cognition, this is the first book to discuss working dogs from a scientific perspective. It covers a wide range of current and potential tasks, explores ergonomic and cognitive aspects of these tasks, and covers personality traits and behavioral assessments of working dogs. A quick look at the chapters, contributed by experts from across the globe and across the multidisciplinary spectrum, illustrates the breadth and depth of information available in this book. Traditionally, information concerning working dogs is mostly hearsay, with the exchange of information informal at best and non-existent at worst. Most books available are too general in coverage or conversely, too specific. They explain how to train a service dog or train a dog to track, based on training lore rather than empirical methods verified with rigorous scientific standards. This book, drawing on cutting edge research, unifies different perspectives into one global science: Canine Ergonomics.
There is a driving need for naval professionals to focus on human factors issues. The number of maritime accidents is increasing and the chief cause is human error, both by the designer and the operator. Decreasing crew size, lack of experienced operators, operations in higher sea states and fatigue worsen the situation. Automation can be a partial solution, but flawed automated systems actually contribute to accidents at sea. Up to now, there has been no overarching resource available to naval marine vehicle designers and human factors professionals which bridges the gap between the human and the machine in this context. Designers understand the marine vehicle; human factors professionals understand how a particular environment affects people. Yet neither has a practical understanding of the other's field, and thus communicating requirements and solutions is difficult. This book integrates knowledge from numerous sources as well as the advice of a panel of eight recognized experts in the fields of related research, development and operation. The result is a reference that bridges the communications gap, and stands to help enhance the design and operation of all naval marine vehicles.
Understanding the 'human operator' is a central concern of both ergonomists and sport and exercise scientists. This cutting-edge collection of international research papers explores the interface between physical, cognitive and occupational ergonomics and sport and exercise science, illuminating our understanding of 'human factors' at work and at play. Drawing on a wide diversity of disciplines, including applied anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, engineering, psychology and design, the book explores themes of central importance within contemporary ergonomics and sport and exercise science, such as performance, health, environment, technology and special populations. Contemporary Sport, Leisure and Ergonomics establishes important methodological connections between the disciplines, advancing the research agenda within each. It is essential reading for all serious ergonomists and human scientists.
Most frauds perpetrated by senior managers take longer to uncover than those by other occupational groups and they steal more. This is a serious problem world-wide. Currently the Red Flag approach is used by auditors to prevent and uncover fraud and in some countries it is statutory. However, the existing approach does not catch managerial fraudsters quickly or very often. In Managerial Fraud, Dr Terry Sheridan reports the findings of her study of fraudulent executives. Her work illuminates the particular methods fraudsters employ to appear more authentic than the average person and reveals two types of executive fraudster with very different behaviours. All this helps to explain why the current Red Flag approach fails to identify potential fraudsters and instead tends to focus on Red Flag executives who are negative characters, but non-fraudulent and accounts for the problem auditors face, who see Red Flag indicators and are obliged to conduct further audits, yet find nothing of substance. During the author's research, the innocent colleagues who worked closely with fraudulent managers have for the first time been interviewed about their experiences and had their impressions analysed, leading to the development of an innovative typology of fraudulent executives based on Impression Management Theory. Better understanding of what Dr Sheridan has uncovered might result in organisations being able to reduce their exposure to fraud perpetrated by their own senior management.
This two-volume set covers organizational psychology and human factors in aerospace and other extreme environments. Organizational psychology and organizational science, human factors, psychology, and aerospace have matured in parallel since World War II. However, the practice at NASA has historically lagged behind, but is now catching up. This set is targeted at professionals with an interest in human factors and psychology at work. Industrial-organizational psychologists will be exposed to traditional applied psychology topics, but presented with a broader multidisciplinary context such as the influences of human factors and physiological health on individual and team job performance.
'Complex sociotechnical systems' are systems made up of numerous interacting parts, both human and non-human, operating in dynamic, ambiguous and safety critical domains. Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is a structured framework specifically developed for considering the development and analysis of these complex socio-technical systems. Unlike many human factors approaches, CWA does not focus on how human-system interaction should proceed (normative modelling) or how human-system interaction currently works (descriptive modelling). Instead, through a focus on constraints, it develops a model of how work can be conducted within a given work domain, without explicitly identifying specific sequences of actions (formative modelling). The framework leads the analyst to consider the environment the task takes place within, and the effect of the imposed constraints on the way work can be conducted. It provides guidance through the process of answering the questions of why the system exists, what activities can be conducted within the domain as well as how these activities can be achieved, and who can perform them. The first part of the book contains a comprehensive description of CWA, introducing it to the uninitiated. It then presents a number of applications in complex military domains to explore and develop the benefits of CWA. Unlike much of the previous literature, particular attention is placed on exploring the CWA framework in its entirety. This holistic approach focuses on the system environment, the activity that takes place within it, the strategies used to conduct this activity, the way in which the constituent parts of the system (both human and non-human) interact and the behaviour required. Each stage of this analysis identifies the constraints governing the system; it is contended that through this holistic understanding of constraints, recommendations can be made for the design of system interaction; increasing the ability of users to cope with unanticipated, unexpected situations. This book discusses the applicability of the approach in system analysis, development and evaluation. It provides process to what was previously a loosely defined framework.
Driver inattention has been identified as one of the leading causes for car accidents. The problem of distraction while driving is likely to worsen, partly due to increasingly complex in-car technologies. However, intelligent transport systems are being developed to assist drivers and to ensure a safe road environment. One approach to the design of ergonomic automobile systems is to integrate our understanding of the human information processing systems into the design process. This book aims to further the design of ergonomic multisensory interfaces using research from the fast-growing field of cognitive neuroscience. It focuses on two aspects of driver information-processing in particular: multisensory interactions and the spatial distribution of attention in driving. The Multisensory Driver provides interface design guidelines together with a detailed review of current cognitive neuroscience and behavioural research in multisensory human perception, which will help the development of ergonomic interfaces. The discussion on spatial attention is particularly relevant for car interface designers, but it will also appeal to cognitive psychologists interested in spatial attention and the applications of these theoretical research findings. Giving a detailed description of a cohesive series of psychophysical experiments on multisensory warning signals, conducted in both laboratory and simulator settings, this book provides an approach for those in the engineering discipline who wish to test their systems with human observers.
A Practical Resource for Understanding, Preventing, and Managing Driver Distraction It is estimated that up to 23 percent of crashes and near-crashes are caused by driver distraction, and these figures will likely increase as more and more distractions, both inside and outside the vehicle, compete for driver attention. Driver Distraction: Theory, Effects, and Mitigation gives a comprehensive overview of this issue, outlining the underlying theory of distraction, its effects on driving performance and safety, strategies for mitigating its effects, and directions for future research. It also brings together the wide array of literature on the topic into one, all-inclusive volume. Includes Recommendations for Managing Distractions in the Technological Age This comprehensive volume reviews the full range of distracting activities that occur while driving, and available ergonomic methods, guidelines, and checklists for the measurement and mitigation of driver distraction. It also recommends ways to manage distraction through enhanced data collection and analysis, driver education and training, driver licensing, legislation and enforcement, vehicle design, road design, company policies, and future research. Beneficial for a broad audience, including: Vehicle manufacturers Road transport authorities and safety agencies Traffic and transport engineers Automotive equipment manufacturers and suppliers Company safety managers Standards organizations Transport safety research agencies This work comes at a critical time when road safety authorities are just beginning to recognize the importance of driver distraction as a road safety issue. With balanced and practical guidance, it aims to prevent driver distraction from escalating into an even more significant problem.
First published two decades ago, the first edition of Handbook of Control Room Design and Ergonomics: A Perspective for the Future became a benchmark for the field. Current-day process control encompasses a new generation of computer systems with enormous capabilities, including new display technologies. These new and emerging technologies integrated with human factors create an interconnectivity that enhances organizational development. This new edition of the handbook addresses developments in the concept of "Control Rooms". It includes modern approaches that emphasize the role of people in learning for self-development and in shaping their work environments. New in the Second Edition: Extensive coverage of the use of the control room and its related computer system outside the work of monitoring and supervising the processes Discussion and explanation of how the control room can also be used for the purposes of education and simulation training Discussion of the use of the control system for optimizing and developing the existing systems and processes A section on new ideas and philosophies about organizational design and job design as these are applied to control room related work Proposed organizational designs of the future Theoretical background about learning, learning in the workplace, and lifelong learning Creativity and learning are rapidly becoming integral parts of the design of work environments and work processes and utilize the ICT potential of modern control systems. Using original case studies, the authors describe and illustrate some creative and exciting organizational designs of the future, including new perspectives learning, learning in the workplace, and lifelong learning. Taking a holistic view, they make a strong argument for integrating in the workplace of the new control cent
Intense pressures pose considerable challenges to executives striving to succeed in an environment of increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Today's leaders are constantly fighting to make sense of their changing worlds and to make the right decisions for themselves, their teams and their business. Yet resilience is not a given. It is a dynamic competency that can be cultivated and improved and there is not just one single way to improve the resilience of a manager but actually many different ways on different levels. The author differentiates between personal resilience, the 'resilience field' and aspects of resilient leadership so that leaders can grasp how each relates to the other and how each can be used to enhance personal and collective resilience. He lays out concrete, practical approaches for overcoming obstacles to the development of resilience at all levels-extending the capacity of the individual leader, teams, group, and organizations to sustain themselves in the face of adversity. Leaders can follow the practical steps and strategies, outlined in this guide, to enhance their capacity to withstand hardships and adversity and create an environment in which people within an organization can thrive and grow. The guidance and strategy draws from a model of resilience focused on (a) fundamental human needs as confirmed by neuroscience and (b) the consequences of not meeting these needs. These two pillars of resilience define a leader's capacity to handle change, conflict, and 'dysfunctional beliefs'- the barriers and sticking points that undermine a leader's optimal business performance.
Technological advances in hardware and software provide powerful tools with the potential to design interfaces that are powerful and easy to use. Yet, the frustrations and convoluted "work-arounds" often encountered make it clear that there is substantial room for improvement. Drawn from more than 60 years of combined experience studying, implementing, and teaching about performance in human-technology systems, Display and Interface Design: Subtle Science, Exact Art provides a theoretically-based yet practical guide for ecological display and interface design. Written from the perspective of cognitive systems engineering and ecological interface design, the book delineates how to design interfaces tailored to specific work demands, leverage the powerful perception-action skills of the human, and use powerful interface technologies wisely. This triadic approach (domain, human, interface) to display and interface design stands in sharp contrast to traditional dyadic (human, interface) approaches. The authors describe general principles and specific strategies at length and include concrete examples and extensive design tutorials that illustrate quite clearly how these principles and strategies can be applied. The coverage spans the entire continuum of interfaces that might need to be developed in today's work places. The reason that good interfaces are few and far between is really quite simple: they are extremely difficult to design and build properly. While there are many books available that address display design, most of them focus on aesthetic principles but lack scientific rigor, or are descriptive but not prescriptive. Whether you are exploring the principles of interface design or designing and implementing interfaces, this book elucidates an overarching framework for design that can be applied to the broad spectrum of existing domains. |
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