Human Factors

Abstract

Human factors are extremely important to understand in relation to systems which employ biometric identity verification techniques. This chapter explores both obvious and less obvious human factors and explains how they have a direct influence upon realised performance. The chapter commences with an in-depth overview of user psychology, an area of understanding pioneered by the author many years ago. It explains the relationship between user psychology and systems performance and how to manage this relationship effectively. The chapter moves on to discuss individual characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, relative health and other factors which may affect the consistency and accuracy with which a live biometric might be offered, as well as serving to distinguish individuals. This is a subject area which many strive to avoid for reasons of political correctness although, actually, it is an area vital to our broader understanding of biometrics and biometric matching. It is also important to understand such factors when designing systems, choosing appropriate biometrics and defining operational processes.