The Human Factors of Work

Abstract

Two studies were carried out based upon earlier research that suggested four broad categories of work tasks—physical, procedural, social, and cognitive. In the first, students made various judgments about 50 occupations. Factor analysis of the inter correlations among judgments showed a cognitive vs. physical, and a social vs. procedural dimension. Various “prestige” aspects of the occupations fell in the cognitive-social quadrant. In the second study, human factors specialists made judgments about tasks. An “automation” factor included simple tasks, and a “humanness” factor covered complex tasks. Physical and procedural occupations and simple tasks were judged to be most subject to automation. Implications for the field of human factors are suggested.

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