APPLYING PSYCHOLOGY TO APPLYING PSYCHOLOGY TO

REAL WORLD PROBLEMSREAL WORLD PROBLEMS

Div 21 of the American Psychological Div 21 of the American Psychological Association: Association:

Applied Experimental & Engineering Applied Experimental & Engineering PsychologyPsychology

Francis T. Durso, Patricia R. DeLucia, & Kerstan Mork, Texas Tech University

Focus on peopleFocus on people How loud can your music be How loud can your music be

before you damage your before you damage your hearing?hearing?

How do you know where to How do you know where to push on a door to enter a push on a door to enter a building?building?

At what room temperature At what room temperature are people most productive?are people most productive?

What’s the best way to study?What’s the best way to study? How high should your desk How high should your desk

chair be?chair be? Why are surgical gowns Why are surgical gowns

green?green? What’s worse—drinking and What’s worse—drinking and driving or driving while on a driving or driving while on a cell phone?cell phone?

Save peopleSave people A plane runs out of gas A plane runs out of gas

while circling an airport while circling an airport for an hourfor an hour

A woman is awake A woman is awake during surgeryduring surgery

A warship mistakes a A warship mistakes a airliner for a fighter airliner for a fighter plane and shoots it downplane and shoots it down

George Weller runs over George Weller runs over people at the farmer’s people at the farmer’s marketmarket

Biased lineup leads Biased lineup leads eyewitnesses to pick the eyewitnesses to pick the wrong manwrong man

Unreliable gauges are Unreliable gauges are ignoredignored

Union Carbide Power plant: Bhopal India

USS Vincennes

Design technology for peopleDesign technology for people

Traffic systems: from signs to mapsTraffic systems: from signs to maps Cars: from brake lights to GPSCars: from brake lights to GPS Computers: from keyboards to websitesComputers: from keyboards to websites Aviation: from air traffic control to unoccupied Aviation: from air traffic control to unoccupied

aerial vehiclesaerial vehicles Military: from night vision goggles to remote Military: from night vision goggles to remote

deployment systemsdeployment systems Office: from chairs to room lightsOffice: from chairs to room lights

HistoryHistory

Efficiency expertsEfficiency experts World War II—1940sWorld War II—1940s

Space exploration—1960sSpace exploration—1960s Computers—1980sComputers—1980s

Who are we?Who are we?

Engineering Engineering psychologists, sometimes psychologists, sometimes called applied called applied experimental or human experimental or human factors psychologists, factors psychologists, understand the abilities understand the abilities and limits of being humanand limits of being human

They apply that They apply that knowledge to improve the knowledge to improve the systems and technologies systems and technologies with which we workwith which we work

Today’s areasToday’s areas

Iowa State Virtual Reality

Forensics & the LawForensics & the Law Computers & the NetComputers & the Net Surface transportationSurface transportation Education & TrainingEducation & Training Human performanceHuman performance Perception & CognitionPerception & Cognition Test & EvaluationTest & Evaluation Systems & Systems &

MacroergonomicsMacroergonomics Augmented cognitionAugmented cognition

Individual differences

Aerospace Environment Safety Health care Virtual reality Product design Industrial

ergonomics Communications

& Teamwork

Interests & Skills you needInterests & Skills you need Enjoy conducting Enjoy conducting

research focused on research focused on peoplepeople

Be comfortable with Be comfortable with math and sciencemath and science

Enjoy learning more Enjoy learning more about how people about how people think and workthink and work

Be interested in Be interested in technologytechnology

Have good Have good communication and communication and critical thinking skillscritical thinking skills

Be a good team Be a good team playerplayer

Current Issues & CareersCurrent Issues & Careers

Hundreds of people a day die from Hundreds of people a day die from preventable medical errorspreventable medical errors

By 2025, air traffic will tripleBy 2025, air traffic will triple People are becoming more reliant on People are becoming more reliant on

automated aids and smart machinesautomated aids and smart machines Computer usage increases each yearComputer usage increases each yearPredator UAV

Work in industry, government, academic settingsSecure a job with a MA or PhDEarn a starting salary of 60-80KLeadership and management options

ConclusionConclusion

• Focus on peopleFocus on people• Save peopleSave people• Design technologies Design technologies

for peoplefor people• Work on a diverse Work on a diverse

selection of projectsselection of projects• Apply a diverse set Apply a diverse set

of skillsof skills• Achieve an exciting Achieve an exciting

and lucrative careerand lucrative career• Fill a growing need Fill a growing need

in all employment in all employment sectorssectors

Web SitesWeb Sites http://www.apa21.org http://www.apa21.org www.hfes.orgwww.hfes.org http://www.iea.cc/ http://www.iea.cc/ http://www.hfes.org/web/http://www.hfes.org/web/

EducationalResources/EducationalResources/educresourcesmain.html educresourcesmain.html

http://www.hf.faa.gov/Webtraining/http://www.hf.faa.gov/Webtraining/index.htmindex.htm

http://www.baddesigns.com/http://www.baddesigns.com/ http://www.aviation.uiuc.edu/institute/http://www.aviation.uiuc.edu/institute/

acadprog/epJP/humFacsites/hotlist.html acadprog/epJP/humFacsites/hotlist.html

PublicationsPublications

Human FactorsHuman Factors Journal of Experimental Psychology: Journal of Experimental Psychology:

AppliedApplied Ergonomics and DesignErgonomics and Design Transportation Research Part FTransportation Research Part F International Journal of Aviation International Journal of Aviation

PsychologyPsychology Human-Computer InteractionHuman-Computer Interaction