Local Applications of the Ecological Approach To Human-Machine Systems

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 and applied problems.

Contents: Preface. W. Schiff, W. Arnone, Perceiving and Driving: Where Parallel Roads Meet. S.B. Flynn, T.A. Stoffregen, Perceiving and Avoiding Rollover in Agricultural Tractors. J.M. Flach, R. Warren, Low-Altitude Flight. J. Grosz, R.T. Rysdyk, R.J. Bootsma, J.A. Mulder, J.C. van der Vaart, P.C.W. van Wieringen, Perceptual Support for Timing of the Flare in the Landing of an Aircraft. G.E. Riccio, Coordination of Postural Control and Vehicular Control: Implications for Multimodal Perception and Simulation of Self-Motion. G.J.F. Smets, Designing for Telepresence: The Delft Virtual Window System. J.P. Hansen, Representation of System Invariants by Optical Invariants in Configural Displays for Process Control. L.A. Whitaker, V.G. CuQlock-Knopp, Human Exploration and Perception in Off-Road Navigation. H.L. Pick, M.R. Heinrichs, D.R. Montello, K. Smith, C.N. Sullivan, W.B. Thompson, Topographic Map Reading. R.R. Hoffman, R.J. Pike, On the Specification of the Information Available for the Perception and Description of the Natural Terrain. G. Klein, B.W. Crandal, The Role of Mental Simulation in Problem Solving and Decision Making. M.F. Young, M.D. McNeese, A Situated Cognition Approach to Problem Solving. L.D. Segal, Designing Team Workstations: The Choregraphy of Teamwork. P.N. Kugler, G. Lintern, Risk Management and the Evolution of Instability in Large-Scale, Industrial Systems.