Cognitive ergonomics: what it is, what it is for and intervention areas

On a daily basis, people use all kinds of tools and objects, both at home and at work. The most everyday objects are easy to use, since based on their use we have internalized how they work.

However, there are many times that we make mistakes, for example, pressing a button on the remote control that we did not want or turning on the stove in the wrong kitchen. They are not very serious errors, and it is easy to correct them. However, what would happen if, flying an airplane, we pressed a button that did not touch? In this case the problem is quite different.

Cognitive ergonomics studies how to enable workstations and other workplaces with the intention of preventing its users from mentally exhausting themselves and making mistakes in the tasks they have to perform. Let's take a closer look at what it consists of.

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What is cognitive ergonomics?

Cognitive ergonomics is the branch of ergonomics charged with applying insights from basic psychology to the design of work environments, tasks, and systems

to enable operators to carry out their work activities in the most productive, comfortable and efficient way possible, avoiding human errors. It tries to adapt the objects, spaces, systems and even work schedules to the natural functioning of the workers' cognitive abilities, enhancing them and preventing their wear and tear.

Sensation, perception, attention and memory are psychological processes that are strongly conditioned by the characteristics of the environment. For example, if we see a bright red button on it, it is quite likely that it will attract more attention than a small black button placed on the side of it would. Although both buttons work the same, they do not attract attention in the same way and, therefore, they will not be pressed the same number of times.

Although cognitive ergonomics can be used in all kinds of contexts, especially in the design of electronic devices, vehicles and even homes, It is of fundamental importance when designing offices, factories and even the shift schedule of hospitals..

There are many details that, at first, may seem insignificant but that require meticulous design and prior planning, especially in professions. Highly stressful people like air traffic controllers, airline pilots and doctors, who are under a lot of pressure and their mental fatigue can cause a disaster.

Human errors and interface design

On many occasions, accidents in means of transport, power plants or factories are not due to the inexperience of their operators, since they are prepared to do their job, nor does it occur because the facilities are in poor condition, but because of a simple mistake human. Since cognitive ergonomics specializes in designing spaces and systems that produce as little mental fatigue as possible Human errors and the ways to predict and avoid them are also the object of study of this discipline..

We understand by human error to any failure that occurs when performing a certain task, which cannot be attributed to factors that are beyond of the immediate control of the human being (machinery failure) nor being under the influence of any substance or mental and physical health condition incapacitating. That is, a mistake is made despite the fact that everything should go well, the person is healthy and it is very unlikely that he made the mistake on purpose.

Human errors occur because there has been a communication problem between the space or the machine and the operator, that is, the operator has not received all the necessary information to know what was the most appropriate action to take in that precise moment. Taking this point of view, everything possible should be done so that the machine has the necessary means to transmit at all times. the information required by the operator and, in turn, make it possible for the operator to properly interpret what the system is trying to tell.

The device interface must be carefully designed since it is the part of the electronic device or machine with which the user interacts directly. An interface full of options, with buttons that you don't really know what they are for and that can be confused with one another is a magnet for human errors and, consequently, accidents. For this reason, especially in spaces where heavy machinery is handled, everything possible is done to that the controls are easy to understand and that they do not exhaust or exceed the cognitive resources of the user drive.

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Application areas of cognitive ergonomics

Cognitive ergonomics can be applied in endless areas, both aimed at facilitating and making work activities more efficient and at making everyday life more comfortable. Next we will see a few of them.

1. health sector

Health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, work long shifts and shifts which can perfectly be more than 24 hours. This is counterproductive, since the "arousal" or cognitive activation of a person usually goes down. between 8 and 12 hours after waking up, and more if you have been for many hours in a row working.

These professions are especially critical, since a mistake made by a doctor or nurse due to fatigue can cost a life. It is necessary for health workers to be rested and with full cognitive performance to be able to carry out function satisfactorily because, even with great experience and knowledge, if they are exhausted They will make more mistakes. The more tired they are, the worse their decision making will be.

Taking this into account, cognitive ergonomics can be used to design hospital duty shifts, ensuring that all its professionals sleep at least 6 hours a day, taking breaks that they can take within the hospital. Proper planning of the health workers who enter and leave the hospital on each shift can save them health problems, both physical and mental.

2. electronics design

The design of electronic devices is not done completely randomly. It is clear that for them to work well, engineers, programmers and electricians will have to be used, but for them to be able to to be marketed successfully, someone needs to think about how comfortable and useful they are going to be for the consumer means, medium.

A device that has many buttons, with an overly complex interface that makes us read the user manual instructions every time we want to use it, it is an appliance that will frustrate us and with which we will not feel very comfortable For this ergonomists take into account which functions are necessary and which are not, what the consumer wants and whether or not it will be comfortable to use the device.

3. vehicle safety

Related to the previous area of ​​application, cognitive ergonomics is widely used in vehicle design. While physical ergonomics is responsible for making it comfortable for our body, such as putting some seats that do not hurt our spine or that are pleasant to be inside, ergonomics cognitive is in charge of making sure that his driving does not exhaust us mentally.

When we talk about vehicle safety, we are not only talking about cars, but also planes, trains and ships. These means of transport usually have much more complex controls than those of the car, which they must be designed in such a way that the operator can quickly and easily see which ones he has activated and which ones not. Buttons that control critical functions should be the most visible and easy to access in an emergency.

Bibliographic references:

• Canas, J.J. (2003). Cognitive ergonomics. Senior Management, Vol. 227, 66-70
• Endsley, M. (1995a). Towards a Theory of Situation Awareness in Dynamic Systems. Human Factors, 37(1), 32-64.
• Parasurman, R. and Riley, V. (1997). Humans and automation: Use, misuse, disuse, abuse. Human Factors, 39, 230-253.
• Sanders, M.S., and McCormick, E.J. (1993). Human Factors in Engineering and Design. McGraw-Hill, Inc.
• Vincent, KJ. (1999). Cognitive work analysis: Toward Safe, Productive and Healthy Computer-based Work. Marwah: READ.