Human Cognition in Man-Machine Systems

Abstract

The study of the relationship between man and machine has recently witnessed a shift in emphasis from the study of man as a manual controller to the more cognitive aspects of man as a supervisor/monitor. This shift has brought about the need for a rigorous examination of the processes involved in problem solving, decision making, skill acquisition and the control of attention; for each of these cognitive components has profound influence in such diverse areas as command and control, maintenance, crew station design considerations, training, and workload. In order to profit from an examination of these areas, two goals must be accomplished. The first is an understanding of the fundamental processes that are responsible for the behavior of interest. This understanding must exist on both a theoretical and empirical level for genuine insight to be gained. The second accomplishment is that methods must be developed that allow quantitative modeling of these processes. Only in this way can theoretical knowledge of these processes be applied profitably to the man-machine environment.