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

Cognitive ergonomics is a key area of research and intervention in work contexts.

Every day, people use all kinds of tools and objects, both at home and at work. The most everyday objects are easy to use, as we have internalized how they work through use.

However, there are many times when we make mistakes, such as, for example, pressing a button on the remote control that we didn't mean to or turning on the stove in the wrong way. These are not very serious mistakes, and they are easy to correct. However, what would happen if, while flying an airplane, we pressed a button we didn't touch? In this case, the problem is quite different.

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

What is cognitive ergonomics?

Cognitive ergonomics is the branch of ergonomics responsible for applying the knowledge of basic psychology to the design of work environments, tasks and systems to make it possible for operators to perform their tasks in the best possible way. to enable operators to perform their work activities as productively, comfortably and efficiently as possible, avoiding human error. It tries to adapt objects, spaces, systems and even work schedules to the natural functioning of the cognitive abilities of workers, enhancing them and avoiding 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 red, shiny button on the display, it is quite likely that it will attract our attention more than a small, black button on the side of the display. Although both buttons function the same, they do not attract attention in the same way and, therefore, they are not going to be pressed the same number of times.

While 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 in the design of offices, factories and even hospital on-call schedules..

There are many details that, at first glance, may seem trivial but require meticulous design and pre-planning, especially in highly stressful professions such as air traffic controllers, airline pilots and doctors, who are under a lot of pressure and their mental fatigue can lead to disaster.

Human error and interface design

Accidents in transportation facilities, power plants or factories are often not due to the inexperience of their operators, as they are trained to do their job, nor are they caused by poorly maintained facilities, but by simple human error. Since cognitive ergonomics specializes in designing spaces and systems that produce the least possible mental fatigue, cognitive ergonomics is also the subject of study. human errors and ways of predicting and avoiding them are also the object of study of this discipline..

Human error is defined as any failure to perform a given task, which cannot be attributed to factors beyond the immediate control of the human being (machinery failure) or be under the influence of any substance or incapacitating mental and physical health condition. In other words, an error is made even though everything should be fine, the person is healthy and it is highly unlikely that he or she made the error on purpose.

Human errors occur because there has been a communication problem between the space or machine and the operator, i.e., the operator has not received all the necessary information to know what was the most appropriate action to take at that precise moment. Taking this point of view, every effort must be made to ensure that the machine has the means to transmit at all times the information required by the operator and, in turn, to ensure that the operator can properly interpret what the system is trying to tell him.

The interface of the device 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 are not clear what they are for and that can be confused with each other is a magnet for human error and, consequently, accidents. For this reason, especially in areas where heavy machinery is operated, every effort is made to ensure that the controls are easy to understand and do not exhaust or overwhelm the cognitive resources of the operator.

Areas of application of cognitive ergonomics

Cognitive ergonomics can be applied in a number of areas, both to make work activities easier and more efficient and to make everyday life more comfortable. Here are just a few of them.

1. Healthcare sector

Healthcare professionals, such as doctors and nurses, work long shifts and on-call shifts that can easily exceed that can easily last more than 24 hours. This is counterproductive, since the "arousal" or cognitive activation of a person usually drops after 8 to 12 hours after waking up, especially if he or she has been working for many hours in a row.

These professions are especially critical, since a mistake made by a fatigued doctor or nurse can cost a life. It is necessary for healthcare workers to be rested and in full cognitive performance to be able to perform their role satisfactorily because, even if they have 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.

With this in mind, cognitive ergonomics can be used to design hospital on-call shifts, making sure that all professionals get at least 6 hours of sleep per day, with breaks that can be taken within the hospital. Proper planning of the incoming and outgoing health workers on each shift can save them from health problems, both physical and mental..

2. Electronics design

The design of electronic devices is not completely random. It is clear that to make them work well, engineers, programmers and electricians will have to be involved, but in order for them to be marketed successfully, it is necessary that someone thinks about how comfortable and useful they will be for the average consumer.

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

3. Vehicle safety

Related to the previous application area, cognitive ergonomics is widely used in vehicle design. While physical ergonomics is in charge of making it comfortable for our body, for example by providing seats that do not stress our spine or that are pleasant to be in, cognitive ergonomics is in charge of making sure that driving it does not exhaust us mentally. is in charge of making sure that driving it does not exhaust us mentally..

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

Bibliographic references:

• Cañas, J.J. (2003). Cognitive Ergonomics. Senior Management, vol. 227, 66-70.
• Endsley, M. (1995a). Toward a Theory of Situation Awareneness in Dynamic Systems. Human Factor , 37 (1), 32-64.
• Parasuraman, 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.
• Vicente, K.J. (1999). Cognitive work analysis: Toward Safe, Productive and Healthy Computer-based Work . Marwah: LEA.