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From Mistakes to Success: Why Are Humans So Crucial in Complex Systems?
The role of humans in complex systems is often misunderstood, especially when mistakes occur. Human error is defined as the result of an action that is not what the actor intended, or violates the expectations of certain rules, or even causes the system to exceed acceptable limits. Whether in nuclear power, aviation, space exploration, or medicine, human error has been recognized as a major cause and contributor to disasters and accidents. Reducing the possibility of human error is generally considered a key factor in improving system reliability and safety.
Human error is behavior that is not executed as planned, but in some cases, the cause of the error is not always due to the mistakes of the actors, but may also be due to defects in the system itself.
The nature of human behavior is diverse and uncertain, making it particularly important to understand the causes of human error in many high-risk industries. These errors can be divided into many types, such as: exogenous errors and endogenous errors, errors in situation assessment and response planning, and even mistakes in the planning and execution of behavior.
When we consider the relationship between human performance and errors, we find that the two are not opposites but two sides of the same coin. The variability of human performance makes it difficult for us to simply label certain behaviors as "errors", but rather to understand the patterns of errors in behavioral patterns in different situations.
Research shows that common errors can be classified as the deviation between subjective perception and objective facts, which often causes humans to be out of touch with important decisions.
With the advancement of science and technology, the study of human errors has become more in-depth, and the role of cognitive psychology has begun to be explored. For example, decision-making biases and the use of the availability heuristic are common thinking errors that humans make when faced with complex situations.
At the organizational level, the study of safety culture is becoming an important direction for understanding human errors and their solutions. Effective management and communication can significantly reduce the possibility of errors, while good teamwork can improve individual performance.
Research has pointed out that the binary perspective of "right" and "wrong" is a simplification of understanding human behavior, and the role of humans in complex systems should be seen as managers of variability.
When faced with complex systems, how do we find a balance between failure and success? Some emerging schools of engineering call this restoration engineering, a new approach that emphasizes the positive role of humans in systems. In their view, the roots of success and failure have something in common: they both stem from the variability of human performance.
In addition, the trade-off principle between efficiency and thoroughness is also considered to be a common phenomenon in all human activities. Pursuing efficiency within a certain period of time may lead to neglect of details, thereby increasing the risk of errors.
In summary, understanding human errors and the psychology, organizational culture, and standard operating procedures behind them are key to promoting system safety and reliability. In this process, what we need to think about is how we can use this knowledge to promote harmony between humans and systems in the future?
