A Case for Cognitive Ergonomics: Towards optimal cognitive functioning at work, Improvements in Health & a Reduction in COST Michaela Burton, M.A. Industrial Relations and Human Resources Global Development, B.A. Hons.
What are Business Interests? To elicit the most productive Employee behaviours: JOB SATISFACTION (Rayton, 2006) ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT (Allen and Mayer, 1990) MOTIVATION (Latham, 2004) Reminder ( Sample represents a Population )
Proposed Enhancement to Motivating Behaviours: Cognitive Ergonomics Ergonomics: “The Application of the human biological sciences in conjunction with the engineering sciences to the worker and his/her working environment so as to obtain maximum satisfaction for the worker which at the same time enhances productivity.” (International Labour Organization) Cognitive Ergonomics: Cognitive Ergonomics is a branch of ergonomics that places emphasis on sustainable performance of worker by enabling cognitive processes at the workplace. Work System: Workers and their environment should be considered as an interactive and joint cognitive system (Hollnagel and Woods, 2007).
Cognitive Ergonomics – Many Branches Focusing on a few aspects today Ergonomics: Maximizes safety & healthiness of work environments To enable work practices and workflows that will empower individuals to use tools more effectively, as well as devices, artifacts, or technology. 1970s – Technology became more salient and important – Knowledge Economy Cognitive Ergonomics is concerned with the Human Computer interaction This involves interaction between people (user) and computers Proposed Theme: Proactive (designs) – Prevention (mal-health) – Achievement (Outcome)
Measurement of Well-Being: Job Satisfaction, Commitment, Work-Life Balance O’Donnell (2009) , has identified the five types of well-being: Emotional, Intellectual, Physical, Social, Spiritual According to (O’Donnell, 2009), (Fisher, et al., 2004) and (Wood, et al., 2007) , these well-being factors can all be measured from different behavioural features such as: ** Job Satisfaction, Commitment and Work-Life Balance** “Job satisfaction is the positive mindset related to the worthwhile aspects of a job that can lead to quality in performance (Fisher, et al., 2004).” If this is true, then it is crucial to find methods that support Well-Being How do we Operationalize methods of Support? Cognitive Ergonomics!
MOTIVATION – Maintaining Motivation is crucial Motivation – Set of energetic forces that originate both from within, and from the interaction of the an individual’s environment (Pinder, 1998): Needs Theory (Maslow) – Job Characteristics that match needs = Fit Personal Traits - Job Design, Person/Context Fit, or Goal Orientation National Culture (Global Landscape) – Shaping an inclusive work environment
Goal-Setting = Profit Research shows Numerous studies have shown that setting a specific difficult goal leads to significant increases in employee productivity (Locke & Latham, 1984). In a survey of companies from Dun’s Business Rankings, Terpstra and Rozell (1994) found a significant correlation between goal-setting and organizational profitability. Engineers and scientists who set goals for their scores on a behavioural index of their performance had higher subsequent performance than those who were urged to do their best (Latham et al., 1978). Self-efficacy correlated positively with subsequent performance (Brown & Latham, 2000a).
How do we achieve our Business Interests? GOAL-SETTING THEORY (Latham, 2004) – ASSOCIATED WITH MOTIVATION According to meta-analysis, goal-setting theory is one of the three most important approaches to work motivation to appear in the last 30 years Passion – Actual Desire to Complete the task/work Tenacity – Energy devoted/Direction towards goal Communicated Vision – Shared information and understanding Self-Efficacy – Task-specific Confidence Venture Growth – Actual Performance Outcomes that develop the business
Achieving Goals in the Modern Age: Technology as a crucial tool (Szalma, 2014) Essentially, human response to technology depends not only on goal outcomes (individuals adapt relatively well to poor design via compensatory mechanisms; Hancock & Warm, 1989; Hockey, 1997, 2003) but also on the experience of the interaction itself. Designing technology to enhance well-being in terms of effective psychological functioning may thus be termed eudaimonic (welfare/happiness) Principles for motivational design can also facilitate long-term well-being that is characterized by effective psychological functioning, or eudaimonia (Ryan & Deci, 2001). Engaging in video game play several hours per day may provide opportunities for short-term pleasure but it also may induce poor long-term psychological or physical health (e.g., Park, 2007; Smyth, 2007).
Why is Cognitive Ergonomics Important? We want to elicit the most productive behaviours! Physical Ergonomics • body dimensions • posture • body movements • physical strength • mental abilities Cognitive Ergonomics focuses on and seeks to improve: Attention Perception Memory Reasoning Motor Response
Anthropometrics: Important Aspects of Users’ Bodies
Important Takeaways from Anthropometrics
Working Memory at Work (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work) Human beings have a limited ability to process information at the focus of attention The capacity of working memory is about 4 items without rehearsal, information fades from the working memory in less than 30 seconds In the auditory domain, a noise that includes detectable speech sounds may impair perception, attention, and other forms of processing of linguistic information. Practically speaking, teams and executing team goals means accomplishing personal goals and reducing external stimuli while executing. Thinking back to Goal-Setting theory, and using the Cognitive Ergonomics principle of focusing on acute tasks, it makes sense to pick achievable goals that are not overloading to an individual
Second Principle: Minimizing Task Switching Monsell , S., “Task Switching”, Trends in Cognitive Sciences , volume 7, issue 3, March 2003, pp. 134 – 140 Laboratory tests have demonstrated the significant costs that can be incurred in ‘task switching’ Outcomes: Switch cost (group) Generally, responses take longer to initiate on a ‘switch trial’ than on a ‘non - switch’ or task -repetition trial, often by a substantial amount (e.g. 200 ms relative to a baseline of 500 ms) Preparation effect (group) If advance knowledge is given of the upcoming task and time allowed to prepare for it, the average switch cost is usually reduced.
Methods of Cognitive Ergonomics Reasonable number of objects/information for each individual (different threshold for each individual) Decreasing unnecessary visual information, background speech, and interruptions while someone performs acute tasks Usage of external memory aids and visualizations for memory aid Reducing task switching and the need to perform simultaneous tasks Listing information and arguments relevant to the problem to be solved or the decision to be made Using graphics to represent relevant factors and their connections Constructing common understanding by using all teammates input for unified documents
Basic Psychology User What is the best way to present information to the user? Can the user detect the information that we are presenting to them? If we are presenting a lot of information to the user, should we be presenting it using more than one sensory channel (e.g., visual and auditory channels are often both used for alarm information)
Human Computer Interaction Is this chair comfortable over an 8 h working day? Can the user get their task done with this application? Is the font used in this interface readable? Have we made the most important information in this interface stand out? Is this interface esthetically appealing to the user demographic I am interested in? Will the user get the information they need in a timely fashion if there is an emergency?
Social Cognition and Teamwork
What is the Business Case for Cognitive Ergonomics? Why does it Make Sense? Empirical Evidence – Costs Associated: (Shikdar, and Sawaqed, 2003) showed that neglecting the ergonomic principles and practices at workplaces can lead to physical exhaustion, emotional depression and a decline in productivity. Their study shed light on issues of motivation, training employees and handling resources effectively. Another practical consideration: The number of long-term disability claims in Canada is rising with depression being the most common occupational disability A reminder that depression is both biologically and environmentally onset
Recommend
More recommend
