Human Factors Engineering - Exam 1 Questions and Answers Solved Correctly Rated A+
Determine human performance based on causal relationship from several independent variables
(information overload study) - Answers Multiple dependent variable research designs
What are the 3 goals of human factors engineering? - Answers 1. Enhance performance (increase
productivity)
2. Increase safety (reduction in errors)
3. Increase user satisfaction
- Involves the user at all stages of design; a design must support a user's needs and not force a user to
adapt
- Take empirical measurements (surveys, questionnaires, usability testing, etc.)
- Use of prototypes to iteratively test usability and performance
- Directly engage users in the design process along the way - Answers Usability engineering or user-
centered-design
1. Who are the users? (demographics, age, gender, education, size, familiarity with the product, task-
relevant skills, personas, etc.)
2. What is the product or system's main function? (precision measurement, large earth moving,
automated or manual, etc.)
3. Under what environmental conditions will it function? (human, high pressure, excessive thermal
cycling, etc.)
4. What are the users' preferences and/or requirements? (color, size variable, price range, visibility,
durability, etc.) - Answers Front end analysis questions
What will the product do? General transformations of information and system state that help the user
achieve goals, but this does not specify actual tactics or carrying out specific tasks - Answers Function
Experimental research methodology - Answers force a change in a control or independent variable to
determine the change in a dependent variable. Control is important here.
specific jobs, duties, tasks, and actions that the user will be doing in using the product - Answers Task
analysis
Describe relationships even though they cannot be manipulated or controlled - Answers Descriptive
methods research methodology
- Test for only one condition or one level
,- One independent variable
- One control group and one treatment group - Answers Two-group research designs
- Test for more than one condition or more than one level of one condition
- Use of multiple groups of subjects
- May or may not have a control group - Answers Multiple group research designs
- What is the difference between group 1 and group 2?
- Each combination of independent variable is administered to a different group - Answers Between
subjects research designs
interest in main effects and interactive effects - Answers Factorial research designs
- All subjects participate in all experimental conditions
- Can compare individual subjects to themselves across all conditions - Answers Within subjects research
designs
Nominal measurement scale - Answers A set of measurements used for classification or identification
purposes
The assignment of numbers by rules to represent properties of objects or events - Answers
Measurement
Scale of values representing differences or distances between amounts of the property being measured
- Answers Interval measurement scale
A set of measurements in which the amount of a property of objects or events can be ranked - Answers
Ordinal Measurement Scale
Number system has an origin represented by zero - Answers Ratio measurement scale
Characterize a population in terms of attributes (age, gender, nationality, etc.) - Answers Descriptive
studies
Assess the effect of something (system or product) - Answers Evaluation research
Test the effects of some variable on behavior, or on the overall operation (input-output modeling,
independent variable and its response variable) - Answers Experimental research
Characteristics and behaviors of interest (physical characteristics, performance data, subjective,
physiological characteristics) - Answers Criterion
, Used to subdivide the population into smaller groups (age, gender, economic status, educational level) -
Answers Stratification variables
Ones controlled by experimenter (x-axis) - Answers Independent variables
These are the measures in which we are interested (y-axis) - Answers Dependent variables
Could influence the result but it is controlled so the effect is not confused (confounded) - Answers
Extraneous variables
The degree to which the method accomplishes its purpose while remaining free of the influence of
extraneous variables. The research can define the methodologies used. - Answers Effectiveness
(criterion measure)
How easy is it to use the methodology (or record the criterion) of a particular application? - Answers
Ease of use (criterion measure)
Cost in terms of money, data requirements, equipment, personnel, and time - Answers Cost (criterion
measure)
The degree to which the method or measure can be used in various contexts and situations - Answers
Flexibility (criterion measure)
The number of phenomena, behaviors, and events that can be measured by using the method or
measure - Answers Range
Refers to the degree to which the method produces the data that are like those occurring in real life. -
Answers Method validity
The degree to which the method produces data that are consistent over time and between applications
- Answers Reliability
Determines the extent to which variables actually measure what is intended - Answers Measurement
validity
The extent to which the method relies on data and procedures external to the one who applied the
method - Answers Objectivity
(pertains only to the measure) measure should be recorded in units that are in line with the anticipated
differences one expects to find among subjects - Answers Sensitivity
The extent to which a measure looks as though it measures what is intended. Measures should appear
relevant to the users whenever possible. - Answers Face validity
The extent to which a measure sampled a field of knowledge or set of behaviors - Answers Content
validity
Determine human performance based on causal relationship from several independent variables
(information overload study) - Answers Multiple dependent variable research designs
What are the 3 goals of human factors engineering? - Answers 1. Enhance performance (increase
productivity)
2. Increase safety (reduction in errors)
3. Increase user satisfaction
- Involves the user at all stages of design; a design must support a user's needs and not force a user to
adapt
- Take empirical measurements (surveys, questionnaires, usability testing, etc.)
- Use of prototypes to iteratively test usability and performance
- Directly engage users in the design process along the way - Answers Usability engineering or user-
centered-design
1. Who are the users? (demographics, age, gender, education, size, familiarity with the product, task-
relevant skills, personas, etc.)
2. What is the product or system's main function? (precision measurement, large earth moving,
automated or manual, etc.)
3. Under what environmental conditions will it function? (human, high pressure, excessive thermal
cycling, etc.)
4. What are the users' preferences and/or requirements? (color, size variable, price range, visibility,
durability, etc.) - Answers Front end analysis questions
What will the product do? General transformations of information and system state that help the user
achieve goals, but this does not specify actual tactics or carrying out specific tasks - Answers Function
Experimental research methodology - Answers force a change in a control or independent variable to
determine the change in a dependent variable. Control is important here.
specific jobs, duties, tasks, and actions that the user will be doing in using the product - Answers Task
analysis
Describe relationships even though they cannot be manipulated or controlled - Answers Descriptive
methods research methodology
- Test for only one condition or one level
,- One independent variable
- One control group and one treatment group - Answers Two-group research designs
- Test for more than one condition or more than one level of one condition
- Use of multiple groups of subjects
- May or may not have a control group - Answers Multiple group research designs
- What is the difference between group 1 and group 2?
- Each combination of independent variable is administered to a different group - Answers Between
subjects research designs
interest in main effects and interactive effects - Answers Factorial research designs
- All subjects participate in all experimental conditions
- Can compare individual subjects to themselves across all conditions - Answers Within subjects research
designs
Nominal measurement scale - Answers A set of measurements used for classification or identification
purposes
The assignment of numbers by rules to represent properties of objects or events - Answers
Measurement
Scale of values representing differences or distances between amounts of the property being measured
- Answers Interval measurement scale
A set of measurements in which the amount of a property of objects or events can be ranked - Answers
Ordinal Measurement Scale
Number system has an origin represented by zero - Answers Ratio measurement scale
Characterize a population in terms of attributes (age, gender, nationality, etc.) - Answers Descriptive
studies
Assess the effect of something (system or product) - Answers Evaluation research
Test the effects of some variable on behavior, or on the overall operation (input-output modeling,
independent variable and its response variable) - Answers Experimental research
Characteristics and behaviors of interest (physical characteristics, performance data, subjective,
physiological characteristics) - Answers Criterion
, Used to subdivide the population into smaller groups (age, gender, economic status, educational level) -
Answers Stratification variables
Ones controlled by experimenter (x-axis) - Answers Independent variables
These are the measures in which we are interested (y-axis) - Answers Dependent variables
Could influence the result but it is controlled so the effect is not confused (confounded) - Answers
Extraneous variables
The degree to which the method accomplishes its purpose while remaining free of the influence of
extraneous variables. The research can define the methodologies used. - Answers Effectiveness
(criterion measure)
How easy is it to use the methodology (or record the criterion) of a particular application? - Answers
Ease of use (criterion measure)
Cost in terms of money, data requirements, equipment, personnel, and time - Answers Cost (criterion
measure)
The degree to which the method or measure can be used in various contexts and situations - Answers
Flexibility (criterion measure)
The number of phenomena, behaviors, and events that can be measured by using the method or
measure - Answers Range
Refers to the degree to which the method produces the data that are like those occurring in real life. -
Answers Method validity
The degree to which the method produces data that are consistent over time and between applications
- Answers Reliability
Determines the extent to which variables actually measure what is intended - Answers Measurement
validity
The extent to which the method relies on data and procedures external to the one who applied the
method - Answers Objectivity
(pertains only to the measure) measure should be recorded in units that are in line with the anticipated
differences one expects to find among subjects - Answers Sensitivity
The extent to which a measure looks as though it measures what is intended. Measures should appear
relevant to the users whenever possible. - Answers Face validity
The extent to which a measure sampled a field of knowledge or set of behaviors - Answers Content
validity
