Cognitive Ergonomics

BY :
Almaden, Giles B.
Acaso, Kyla Shenna M.
Cognitive Ergonomics
Cognitive Ergonomics
What is Cognitive
Ergonomics?
According to the International Ergonomics
Association, cognitive ergonomics is concerned with
mental processes such as perception, memory,
reasoning, and motor response, as they affect
interactions amongst humans and other elements of a
system. It is the discipline and practices for making
human-system interaction compatible with human
cognitive abilities and limitations, particularly at
work. It aims to ensure appropriate communication
amongst human needs, works, products,
environments, capabilities, and limitations.

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 HISTORY
Cognitive Ergonomics

1 2

70`s 80`s

The field of cognitive ergonomics emerged
predominantly in the 70s with the advent of
the personal computer and new developments
in the fields of cognitive psychology and
artificial intelligence.
Cognitive ergonomics is the application of
psychology to work to achieve the
optimization between people and their
work
Enid Mumford was one of the pioneers of
interactive systems engineering and advocated the
notion of user-centered design, wherein the user is
considered "included in all phases of the design".
There are several different models which describe
the criteria for designing user-friendly technology.
A number of models focus on a systematic process
for design, using task analysis to evaluate the
cognitive processes involved with a given task and
develop adequate interface capabilities.
Physical Ergonomics Vs. Cognitive Ergonomics

Physical Ergonomics focuses on our bodies.

Cognitive Ergonomics is interested in what goes in our brains:

• the way our senses perceive information;

• the way in which we understand and interpret it; and
• what determines the decision we make.

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 Models and Methods of
Cognitive Ergonomics

Cognitive ergonomics models involve

three dimensions:

• Usefulness
• Usability
• Acceptance

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 Models and Methods of
Cognitive Ergonomics

Methods Used in Cognitive

Ergonomics:

• Design Phase
• Focus Group
• Socio-cognitive
• Task Analysis
• Evaluation Phase

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 Task Analysis
• Describes the task
• How and why it is undertaken
• What skills and equipments are needed
• What actions are required and their complexity
• The time necessary for the task
• Feedback mechanisms
• Helps identify likely errors and hazards associated with the task

Aims of Task Analysis

• Understand the individual components of work
• Understand the order and sequence of work
• Evaluate in isolation or interactively the separate functions of a job
• Evaluate the information or decision-making requirements of the work
 Types of Task Information Requirements

• Identification of subtasks
• Grouping of subtasks
• Commonalities and interrelationships between subtasks
• Importance or priorities of subtasks
• Frequency of subtasks
• Sequencing of subtasks
• Decisions made in the execution of subtasks
• 'Trigger' conditions for subtask execution
• Objectives or goals of each subtask
• Performance criteria for each subtask
• Information required by each subtask
• Information generated by each subtask
• Knowledge employed in making decisions
• Knowledge of system employed in performing subtasks
 Potential Data Collection Methods

• Observation
• Interview
• Focus group
• Existing documentation
• Checklist
• Questionnaire
• Videotape
Example:
Cognitive Analysis Of The Task: General Anaesthesia
 Task Analysis Techniques for
Equipment Design

• Hierarchical Task Analysis

• Interface Surveys
• Link analysis
• Operations sequence diagrams
• Timeline analysis
 Task Analysis
Name of organisation completing the work: Job name:

Task: Job number:

Principal contractor: Job location:
Date the JSA was prepared: Number of pages in this JSA:

This JSA has been reviewed by: This JSA has been discussed with:

Principal Contractor or Representative (signature) Employee/subcontractor (signature)

Position Date Position Date

Item Work activity Hazard Risk control Persons Completion

responsible
Number Break the job down What could harm What can be done Who will make Date and signoff
into steps someone? to make the job sure it happens?
safe?
1. Sensation and perception:
• Signifies perception of stimuli gathered through the senses such
as sight, hearing, taste, smell, and/or touch.

2. Attention:
• A stage where the processing is focused on certain aspects of
perceived information or processing may be divided into two or
Cognitive
several aspects.
Processes
3. A short-term memory:
• Information storage is available for up to 30 seconds. It suggests
to the processes with which information is actively rehearsed and
manipulated in mind.

4. Long-term memory:
• This is a permanent store for different kinds of information, such
as semantic memory, episodic memory, autobiographical
memory, and procedural knowledge.
Why is there a need for
Cognitive Ergonomics?
Categorizing Human Failure

Unintentional Errors:
 Errors
 Mistakes

Intentional Errors:
• Violations
• Routine Violations
• Exceptional Violations
• Situational Violations
• Acts of Sabotage
 Cognitive Ergonomics for Work
Safety Improvement
Practicing cognitive ergonomics can provide the following
benefits to improving safety and productivity and reducing
accidents and injuries at workplaces:

• User-centered design of a software interface.

• The design of a sign to convey the message so that people will
understand and act in an intended manner.
• The design of safer tools and machinery so that operators will not
make catastrophic errors.
• The design of information technology systems that support cognitive
tasks.
• Work redesign to manage cognitive workload and increase human
reliability.
 How Can Cognitive Ergonomics Help?

Cognitive ergonomics can enhance safety programs and worker safety at

numerous levels including:

 Diagnosis of issues and problems

 Workload efficiency and maximization
 Situation awareness
 Decision-making — both long-term, short-term and critical
 Planning for tasks, assignments, layout and design.
 Training of workers and supervisors
The Interaction of Man And Machine
 The Interaction of Man And Machine

Here are a few tips for creating a safety program that accounts for cognitive ergonomics.

 Consider the domain of the workplace or the constraints and opportunities of the environment you
work in.
 Ensure your safety program considers the demands of the specific work your employees are doing
and considers user strategies in performing cognitive tasks.
 Consider the competencies and cognitive limitations of your workers in their interactions with the
system.
 Examine the limitations and constraints of the tools or artifacts used in the workplace and how
these might affect the user and the user’s interactions with both the workplace and the tools.
 Design both tools and human-machine interfaces that will allow humans to perform at peak
capacity, even when information is unreliable, unexpected events occur, goals conflict or time
constraints are in effect.
• Consider human over-reliance on machines or a potential lack of trust in machines, as both can
have an impact on safety.
• Put into place hiring and screening practices which emphasize cognitive abilities.
 Putting Cognitive Ergonomic
Into Practice
 Signage with designs and colors that maximize comprehension and compliance
 Work environments that make catastrophic errors difficult
 Work and task planning that considers both cognitive workload and human
reliability
 Adjustment of lighting or glare to ensure better readability
 Consistency in the design of system controls to ensure employees react
consistently to emergencies
 Training programs that consider the limitations of human memory and the way
in which people learn, process, and apply information
 Alarm systems that suppress minor alarms in order to allow critical alarms to be
heard
 SUMMARY
Cognitive functions are critical to safe and effective operations in industries and workplaces.
Although large variations are found amongst individuals, they are mainly caused by cognitive disorders
and failures. However, even though their immense importance, cognitive issues have not been
systematically highlighted in workplace ergonomic programs. Activities that involve this branch of the
field have mainly focused on complex equipment such as nuclear power plants and aircraft
manufacturing industries. There are profound safety issues involved in the poor cognitive designs of
equipment such as lack of standardized controls and unclear directions.

Making things understandable and user-friendly designs would significantly facilitate to avoid
mistakes, increase reaction times, and lessen learning curves. In this sense, cognitive ergonomics is an
emerging branch of ergonomics and is a subset of the larger field of human factors and ergonomic
disciplines. However, cognitive ergonomics is still an unexploited area for improving the design of
machine controls, sets of instructions, and so forth. Therefore, it can be expected that cognitive
ergonomics would provide significant contributions to improving work performance, lean operations,
productivities, and eventually creating safer and healthier work environments in the industry.