THE ROLE OF ERROR IN ORGANIZING BEHAVIOUR. Paper presented at: Errors in the Operation of Transport Systems : proceedings of a CEC Workshop held at the Medical Research Council's Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge, UK, May 26-28, 1989.

Author(s)
Rasmussen, J.
Year
Abstract

During recent years, the significance of the concept of human error has changed considerably. The reason for this has partly been an increasing interest of psychological research in the analysis of complex real-life phenomena, and partly the changes of modern work conditions caused by advanced information technology. Consequently, the topic of the present contribution is not a definition of the concept or a proper taxonomy. Instead, a review is given of two professional contexts for which the concept of error is important. Three cases of analysis of human-system interaction are reviewed: (1) traditional task analysis and human reliability estimation; (2) causal analysis of accidents after the fact; and finally, (3) design of reliable work conditions in modern socio-technical systems. It is concluded that 'errors' cannot be studied as a separate category of behaviour fragments; the object of study should be cognitive control of behaviour in complex environments. (A) For the covering abstract of this conference see IRRD 834497.

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Publication

Library number
I 834498 [electronic version only] /83 / IRRD 834498
Source

Ergonomics, 1990 /10/11. 33 (10/11). Pp1185-99 (14 Refs.) Errors in the Operation of Transport Systems : proceedings of a CEC Workshop held at the Medical Research Council's Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge, UK, May 26-28, 1989.

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This publication is one of our other publications, and part of our extensive collection of road safety literature, that also includes the SWOV publications.