Human factors psychologists design and test products such as computer systems, medical devices, automobiles, airplanes, cell phones, and even room arrangements such as positioning of light switches so that they can be used safely, efficiently, and in an enjoyable way. In 2000 the International Ergonomics Association composed the following formal definition of the field:
Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data, and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.
Through the years other terms such as applied experimental psychology, engineering psychology, ergonomics, human systems engineering, human systems integration, usability, and user experience have been used to describe closely related if not identical fields as discussed below.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to express my appreciation to Deborah Boehm-Davis, Haydee Cuevas, Pat DeLucia, Valerie Gawron, Krystyna Gielo-Perczak, and Paul Green for suggesting content for this article. I would also like to thank Pat DeLucia and Harold Takooshian for a helpful review of an earlier draft.
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Shapiro, R.G. (2012). Human Factors Psychology. In: Rieber, R.W. (eds) Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0463-8_302
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