Human Factors Psychology Definition

There are many different processes and items around us, and we interact with all of them in one way or another. It is understandable that there is a desire to make these dealings productive, effective, safe and bring positive emotions. But how to do this if you do not rely on chance and probability theory?

To solve this difficult puzzle, there is human environment psychology, which has a set of tools that can comprehensively measure various aspects of cooperation and then suggest real ways to optimize and improve this symbiosis. Another goal is to adapt products and environments so that they complement sapient capabilities, while maximizing productivity and safety.

An interesting historical reference can be the information that this area of ​​​​social science arose during the Second World War as a result of research into the possibilities of increasing the productivity and safety of manned systems. Since then, further development has been directed into a variety of areas from computing and manufacturing to public administration.

Directions of Human Factors Psychology

This interdisciplinary field of behavioral discipline focuses on a number of topics closely related to both individuals and machines and computers. It is important to know that the terms human factors and ergonomics are often used as synonyms, but ergonomics is more widespread in Europe, while the other option has settled in the USA.

Among the main areas that the human factors department examines and studies are:

• human capabilities and errors, as well as their impact on efficiency and safety and ways to minimize risks.
• product design that will lead to increased demand, attract the target audience and stand out from competitors.
• safety and ergonomics in the workplace, as an element of optimizing work processes and routines, reducing the workload on a person.

Using the basic principles of the classical branch, the Human Factors studies the composition processes of various products on the one hand, and helps to create effective and productive work environments on the other. However, there are also qualitative differences from traditional science, since the scope of this sphere does not include the study of a person as a system and solutions to his internal problems.

Human Factors psychology in UX design

Most likely, everyone in life has had the experience of interacting with an interface that is difficult or inconvenient to use. This reduces efficiency, increases cognitive load, and can cause errors, some of which are critical.

Human factors design focuses on improving the areas of a product where the user communicates directly, such as using a touchscreen smartphone or completing tasks on a laptop. This approach combines knowledge from different disciplines: psychology, sociology, engineering, and industrial styling.

Human factors technique can be thought of as a navigation system in a maze characterized by complex relationships. As we move toward user experience design, we begin to feel like we are participating in the complex mechanisms of Herbert Goldberger’s Ruban Machine, a system that studies sentient behavior.

In a composition context, which can take visual or functional cues, you envision how end users will come together with these elements. For example, you might illustrate the process of pressing a button, whether it is a click, hold, or drag, coupled with the possibility that the end exploiter can use it to achieve a certain outcome.

By using human factors psychology, it is possible to create effective information architecture that organizes content according to logic, emphasizing the importance of this mental aspect for interfaces that require functionality expansion while remaining intuitive and customer-oriented.

The personlike factor that makes a product usable is part of the broader user experience. Therefore, UX designers must be well versed in this approach in order to create products that are not only useful but also enjoyable.