Véronique De Keyser

Time and the dynamic control of behavior

Time estimation: mechanisms underlying timing abilities in animals - steady-states and dynamic situations exploring scalar timing theory with human subjects reponse latencies in temporal bisection - implications for timing models brain correlates of time processing motor programming of time - electrophysiological data in humans what changes in rhythmic performances with ageing? the relationship between internal and external determinants of time estimation behaviour new perspective on prospective time estimation parallel estimation of short duration in humans duration reproduction of meaningful events - a matter of expectancy, counter/accumulator and attention allocation processe adaptation to duration in preschool children. Dynamic interfaces: on the representation of change the impact of time and risk on the design of human computer interfaces regular temporal structures and their computer simulation - the RAFT simulator temporal relations in a dynamic process - the content effect of mimmic displays anticipatory behaviour in a simulated bus traffic control task temporal landmarks to manage time in dynamic situations. Mental representations of dynamic and temporal information: dynamic perception of dynamics - object and event perception across saccadic eye movements temporal deductive reasoning mental models and working memory in temoral reasoning and spatial reasoning.

Work analysis in French language ergonomics: origins and current research trends

This paper is not so much a synthesis as a reflection on work analysis in French language ergonomics. It is structured around two questions. First, how is francophone analysis positioned in relation to other developments which themselves have attempted to describe work—like anglophone taxonomy? Second, how has francophone analysis evolved? The author suggests that the evolution reveals a shift. Gradually, over the years, questions of meaning and analysis have taken on a greater importance. This shift appears clearly, in work analysis and verbalization, two topics which are discussed in the paper.

Time in ergonomics research

Abstract The mastering of dynamic situations by human operators is a recurring theme in ergonomics. In order to paint an up-date picture of research a heuristic approach has been adopted by taking an interest in temporal errors and in ergonomical solutions. A temporal error in a dynamic situation is taken to mean an undesired adjustment of the evolution of this situation—whether or not this adjustment is the object of temporal reasoning. The errors have to do with order relationships, durations and temporal perspectives and they have been looked at from four different angles: (1) as shifts in relation to a norm, (2) as stemming from characteristics of the situation, (3) as resulting from an inadequacy or from a conflict of temporal reference systems, and (4) as the products of an inferential reasoning. Each time, the ergonomical implications of these options will be discussed.

Prospective issues for Error Detection

From the literature on error detection, the authors select several concepts relating error detection mechanisms and prospective memory features. They emphasize the central role of intention in the classification of the errors into slips/lapses/mistakes, in the error handling process and in the usual distinction between action-based and outcome-based detection. Intention is again a core concept in their investigation of prospective memory theory, where they point out the contribution of intention retrievals, intention persistence and output monitoring in the individuals possibilities for detecting their errors. The involvement of the frontal lobes in prospective memory and in error detection is also analysed. From the chronology of a prospective memory task, the authors finally suggest a model for error detection also accounting for neural mechanisms highlighted by studies on error-related brain activity.

Evolution of Ideas and Actors of Change

The problem of human error and well-being at work, so vigorous today in Western Europe, has its roots at the beginning of this century in the concern to protect the worker in his job. Different safety indicators, such as the frequency rate, degree of seriousness and the number of mortal accidents actually continue to decrease. Doubtlessly, numerous factors explain this favorable evolution: due to social pressure, with the birth of worker parties and trade unions, European countries have gradually created a real safety net to restrict accidents, occupational diseases and work pollution. A whole legislative arsenal has been created; commissions gathering together employers and trade unions have been organized in the work place and outside; occupational medicine has developed; safety services have progressively been structured and given very specific missions — and at the same time, both the nature and content of work have changed. Thanks to automation and computerization, the constraining physical side of work and often-dangerous handling is lighter and there is more and more mental work. Of course, this evolution is structured differently from one country to another — but European integration, the instruments and tools that Europe has developed over the last few decades and its vast research programs in safety and health tend to make the efforts of each converge. If it seems quite obvious that well-being at work covers both quantitative and qualitative indicators, and that ideas which are apparently isolated, such as safety, stress, work satisfaction, are in fact closely linked, this viewpoint has not always prevailed.

Activity and instruments

Western Europe produces many tools today to combat human error, to better understand and manage it. Some of these tools are still prototypes; others are already on the market. They include error collecting and classification methods, training tools, operator aids and design methods. Prevention is usually rooted in the following ideas: Human-centered design. Fault tolerant systems. Technical assistance and intelligent operator aids. “Manageable” system complexity. Generalization of simulators in training. Collection and classification of errors and incidents which are stored in databases, and continuously reintroduced in training, work organization and design. Growing emphasis on error recovery and error management.

Research and Context

In this chapter we will present two studies on human error prevention, carried out by our laboratory at the University of Liege in Belgium. They aim to illustrate one of the possible approaches to treat this problem in Western Europe. The first study takes place in anesthesiology, the second one in aeronautics: two risky environments where human error may have catastrohic consequences. But before describing the studies, some concepts have to be clarified. For instance, what we mean by environment, domain, field, context and complexity, for these concepts are at the core of the human reliability problem.