Human Factors II (EXP 6257)
Instructors: Dr. Peter Hancock (PH)
Time: Thursday 9:00 am – 11:50 am
Office: Psychology Building, Room 301D
Meeting Room: PSY 301Q
Telephone: (407) 823-1492
E-mail: phancock@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Required Text, Secondary Text, and Additional Readings
• Hancock, P.A., & Szalma, J.L. (2007). Performance Under Stress. Ashgate: England. (Required)
• Macmillan, N.A., & Creelman, C.D. (2005). Detection Theory: A User’s Guide (2nd edition). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. (Secondary)
Other readings will be assigned. These will be announced in class.
Course Overview
This course will examine the field of Human Factors using energetic aspects of performance as an overall theme in respect to each of the topics on the schedule below. The primary instruction for the course will be by Dr. Hancock.
A limited number of guest lecturers will be invited to discuss specific topics of their expertise.
Schedule (Subject to Change)
| January 10 | Origins of Human Factors (PH) | Overview Paper(.doc, 48 k)Lecture Slides part 1(.ppt, 13 mb)Lecture Slides part 2(.pdf, 97 mb)Handout – Birmingham and Taylor(.pdf, 6 mb)Handout – Boff(.pdf, 161 kb)Handout – Bush(.pdf, 61 kb)Handout – Craik, 1947(.pdf, 200 kb)Handout – Craik, 1948(.pdf, 185 kb)Handout – Cronbach(.pdf, 500 kb)Handout – Dempsey, Wogalter, and Hancock (.pdf, 136 kb)
Handout – Taylor (.pdf, 6 mb) Handout – Turing (.pdf, 3 mb) |
| January 17 | Stress and Performance (PH) | Overview Paper(.doc, 41 k)Lecture Slides (.ppt, 6 mb) |
| January 24 | Mental and Cognitive Workload (PH) | Overview Paper(.doc, 41 k)Lecture Slides (.ppt, 9 mb) |
| January 31 | Vigilance and Sustained Attention (PH) | Overview Paper(.doc, 58 k)Lecture Slides (.ppt, 4 mb) |
| February 7 | Adaptive Automation (Mouloua) | Overview Paper(.doc, 51 kb)Lecture Slides (.ppt, 5 mb) |
| February 14 | Human Error (PH) | Overview Paper(.doc, 35 kb)Handout – Hoffman (.pdf, 156 kb) |
| February 21 | Advanced Signal Detection Theory (Szalma) | Overview Paper(.doc, 58 kb)Lecture Slides(.ppt, 2 mb)Handout – Swets, Dawes, and Monahan (.pdf, 2 mb) |
| February 28 | 1st Presentations | |
| March 6 | Human Factors in Transportation (Morgan) | Lecture Outline (.pdf, 40 kb) |
| March 13 | Spring Break | |
| March 20 | Fatigue and Prolonged Operations (PH) | Overview Paper (.doc, 38 kb) |
| March 27 | Sensory Processing and Human Factors (Merlo) | Lecture Slides (.ppt, 10 mb) |
| April 3 | Human Factors and Advanced Simulation (Kincaid) | Overview Paper(.doc, 48 kb)Handout – Kincaid, et. al (.doc, 240 kb) |
| April 10 | Expertise, Judgement, and Decision-making (Ross) | Overview Paper (.doc, 116 kb) |
| April 17 | 2nd Presentations | |
| April 24 | Final Examination | |
Course Objectives
This course is the second in a series of three that seeks to develop your scientific, professional, and academic skills in Human Factors and its related fields. To that end, I have structured a course that provides you with insight into the processes of science and research through the medium of discussion, discourse, and (on occasion) polemic argument. The teaching format is intentional and is one specifically developed to provide you with the maximum of diversity of understanding and opinion.
The primary objective to be achieved is your direct recognition of the dynamic nature of the science and its associated professional practice. In the age of modern technology we do not ask you to remember facts and no part of the testing sequence requires this. I do ask you to integrate concepts and the final, take-home examination emphasizes this skill. Further, I with to provide multiple opportunities for you to advance your presentation skills and this facet of development is emphasized in the two, twelve minute presentations (although this year we have an alternative for one as detailed below).
Finally, I view class members as nascent professional colleagues. I wish you to engage in the discourse which the class is specifically structured to provide. Your informed opinions are welcomed, but like the larger world of science and practice, you will often be called upon to justify such opinions. You will be provided with appropriate reading material to help with this activity.
Course Assignments
Examination: There will be an examination worth 75 points at the end of the semester. The examination will cover both material presented in class and in the readings. While there will be some overlap, material will be presented in class that is not in the readings and some relevant material in the readings will not be covered in class. The examination format will be in an essay format and will be a take home examination.
Presentations: Each student is required to make two, twelve minute PowerPoint presentations with written information presented on the notes format which will be handed in. These will be on topics of the student’s choice; however, they should be pre-approved by Dr. Hancock. Each student should select one applied area (e.g. surface transportation, homeland security, medicine) related to general topics covered in the course and one theoretical area related to the primary foci (e.g., stress, workload, human error, etc.). Please secure approval for the first topic by fourth week of class (January 31st). Each presentation will be worth 75 points.
(This year, in lieu of one presentation, each student may select to substitute a publication experience. In this expedience, they will select an area of research interest, either from the topics identified by Dr. Hancock or from their own self-selected topics, and they will be graded on their ability to generate and pursued a refereed publication over the duration of the course. This will include writing, journal selection, journal submission, and if time permits, response to submission comments. The purpose is to allow the student to experience this whole process, as far as time permits. The assignment will be worth the equivalent of one presentation).
Class Participation: Participation in class will be worth 25 points. This includes making substantive contributions during class as well as attendance.
Grades: Grades will be determined by percentage of possible points obtained. Thus,
A = accumulation of 90% of possible points
B = accumulation of 80% of possible points
C = accumulation of 70% of possible points
D = accumulation of 60% of possible points