Human factors problems and solutions.
The human engineer faces both organisational and technical difficulties in making his contribution to system development. Since engineering designers and managers are relatively indifferent to behavioural problems, they are inclined to ignore human engineering inputs. In addition, the available techniques for answering complex behavioural questions arising during development are not adequate. A continuing process of indoctrination may ultimately change engineering attitudes but this process will be very slow. It seems more effective to concentrate on developing the necessary human engineering techniques to answer development questions and thereby demonstrate the worth of Human Factors in system development. This process will also be slow but at least it will be under the control of Human Factors specialists. Eighteen areas of research to develop the necessary techniques are described.
Meister
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US Navy Personnel Research and Development Center, San Diego, California, USA.