Citation

Kolich M, Wong-Reiger D. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 1999; 24(6): 591-602.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

One of the objectives of human factors engineering is to ensure that the design of a person-machine system does not exceed the information processing capacity of human beings. Great strides have been made in this regard. In other words, individual differences in information processing ability have been accounted for. As such, accidents on tasks possessing a large information processing component must be attributable to other factors. Emotional stress due to nonwork factors was theorized to be one of these factors. Not a single study could be found evaluating the effects of nonwork stress on information processing ability. Therefore, this relationship was the focus of this study. The research question was studied by simulating, using playing cards, industrial tasks requiring varying amounts of information processing. Nonwork stress was measured using parts of a pre-existing questionnaire. A total of 12 individuals were selected to participate in this study. Nonwork stress was found to negatively affect information processing ability, as measured by reaction time. As a consequence, stress due to nonwork factors can be considered an important factor in accident occurrence in complex person-machine systems; one that is, at the very least worthy of further investigation.Relevance to industryThe findings of this investigations have far-reaching implications with regard to employment practices; particularly those concerned with pre-employment screening and stress management training. These implications are based on the premise that the likelihood of an accident in complex person-machine systems decreases as high risk individuals are identified and trained.