Global Perspectives on the Ecology of Human-Machine Systems

by Flach; John M.

• ISBN13: 9780805813814
• ISBN10: 0805813810
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1995-06-01
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

There is a growing consensus in the human factors/ergonomics community that human factors research has had little impact on significant applied problems. Some have suggested that the problem lies in the fact that much HF/E research has been based on the wrong type of psychology, an information processing view of psychology that is reductionistic and context-free. Ecological psychology offers a viable alternative, presenting a richer view of human behavior that is holistic and contextualized. The papers presented in these two volumes show the conceptual impact that ecological psychology can have on HF/E, as well as presenting a number of specific examples illustrating the ecological approach to human-machine systems. It is the first collection of papers that explicitly draws a connection between these two fields. While work in this area is only just beginning, the evidence available suggests that taking an ecological approach to human factors/ergonomics helps bridge the existing gap between basic research andapplied problems.

Table of Contents

Contributors	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Resources for Ecological Psychology	p. xv
the Ecology of Human-Machine Systems: a Personal History	p. 1
References	p. 11
on Human Factors	p. 14
Acknowledgments	p. 50
References	p. 50
a Few Implications of an Ecological Approach to Human Factors	p. 54
References	p. 65
Requirements for Psychological Models to Support Design: Toward Ecological Task Analysis	p. 68
References	p. 116
Virtual Ecology of Work	p. 121
References	p. 154
Toward a Theoretical Base for Representation Design in the Computer Medium: Ecological Perception and Aiding Human Cognition	p. 157
Summary	p. 183
References	p. 184
Acknowledgments	p. 184
Active Psychophysics: the Relation Between Mind and What Matters	p. 189
References	p. 206
Acknowledgments	p. 206
Introduction	p. 210
Constructing an Econiche	p. 210
Acknowledgments	p. 233
References	p. 233
Designing with Affordances in Mind	p. 238
References	p. 269
Use of a Means-End Abstraction Hierarchy to Conceptualize the Ergonomic Design of Workplaces	p. 273
References	p. 290
Dimensionless Invariants for Intentional Systems: Measuring the Fit of Vehicular Activities to Environmental Layout	p. 293
References	p. 341
Concepts and Theorems Required for Dimensionless Analysis and to Build a Fiber Bundle Geometry	p. 346
a Sketch of the Fiber Bundle Geometry Needed for the Intentional Dynamics	p. 353
""""Center of Mass Perception"""": Affordances as Dispositions Determined by Dynamics	p. 359
References	p. 392
Author Index	p. 397
Subject Index	p. 403
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