Aims

- to provide the elements of cognitive psychology founding the ergonomy of mental work and necessary to allow the students to identify the factors determining the performance and comfort in the physical and cognitive environment for a given task.

Main themes

- Principles pf cognitive psychology in ergonomy
- Cognitive architectures and general wording of the cognitive limitations (e.g. ACT-R)
- Error and human reliability
- Behaviour of problem resolving and of implementation of complex tasks.
- Perception of the physical environments.

Content and teaching methods

The aim is to provide the students with methods to improve the working and life conditions in general. This concerns industrial work, service work, domestic work, work in leisure activities, the transition to (pre)retirement, the groups of atypical work (handicapped, aging workers, immigrants, temporary workers, part-time workers, sub-contracting, flexible schedules, etc.). Special attention will be given to : the conditions of man in computerized work, automated work, stress, management of human error, organisation of trainings, allocation of the functions between man and technology.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Specific links with the course "Cognitive ergonomy: the man-machine systems"

Other credits in programs