Contemporary & Emerging Issues in Human Factors, Engineering and Military Psychology--Division 21: Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology and Division 19: Military Psychology, and Potomac Chapter, Human Factors & Ergonomics Society Midyear Symposium March 7-8th, 2002, Fort Belvoir, VA [Program]

This work examines the terms most frequently used to describe our field, which has variously been named Ergonomics, Human Factors, Human Factors Engineering, and Engineering Psychology. A large number of definitions were collected, including those assembled in an earlier technical report by Licht, Polzella, and Boff (1990). First, the definitions were stripped of connector words. Second, the prefix root terms that had the same meaning were combined and third, the words were tabulated and sorted to reveal the content terms most frequently employed. These data may be used to develop core, concise definitions or longer more expository descriptions of the field. The list of terms could also be used as a starting point for the development of definitions oriented for different target audiences (e.g., lay persons vs. other engineering/science experts) as a method of disseminating information concerning what we do.

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Spotlight on Educating Our Future Professionals: What Human Factors and Ergonomics Means to Students

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193120204600813 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 46 (8) ◽

pp. 820-824

Author(s):

Haydee M. Cuevas ◽

Matthew Hilscher

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Graduate Students ◽

Human Factors ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Graduate Programs ◽

Human Factors Engineering ◽

Field Of Study ◽

Human Factors And Ergonomics ◽

Engineering Psychology ◽

Different Levels

One of the primary goals for members of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society should be to increase student awareness of the opportunities found in the field of human factors/engineering psychology. By increasing awareness of our discipline, we can improve our chances of attracting bright, talented, and energetic students to the various undergraduate and graduate programs around the country, which can only serve to enrich our profession and benefit society. Toward this end, we asked students at different levels of education what human factors and ergonomics meant to them. First, we assessed the awareness of the concept ergonomics in college-bound high school seniors. Second, we surveyed undergraduate students about their awareness of human factors/engineering psychology as a viable major. Third, current human factors/engineering psychology undergraduate and graduate students were asked why they chose to pursue this field of study. Implications for promoting the discipline of human factors/engineering psychology are discussed.

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