Human Factors Psychology

Human factors is a field of psychology focusing on a array of different topics, including ergonomics (the science related to man and his work, embodying the anatomic, physiologic, and mechanical principles affecting the efficient use of human energy), workplace safety, human error, product design, human capability and human-computer interaction. Human factors work to apply the main beliefs of psychology to designing products and creating work atmosphere that boost efficiency while minimizing safety issues. The field of human factors formally began during World War II, when a range of experts worked collectively to improve the safety of airplanes. Since that time, human factors psychology has continued to grow and today plays an important role in many other fields, including computing, manufacturing, product design, engineering, military and government industries. Human factors psychologists express creativity by exploring the ways that people interact with products and environments, designing interfaces that are trouble-free to understand and assessing stylistic modifications that can improve product usefulness and performance. Important Topics studied are Cognition, Perception, Educational technology, Graphic design, Instructional message design and many more. There are several Specializations within Human Factors Psychology. Some of them are Cognitive ergonomics, Product design Usability, User experience engineering, Human-computer interaction, Error prevention, etc This field is very practical and most engaged in this area of study are working directly in the field. Much of the psychologists’ time is spent on performing research and applying what they know about human behavior, perception and cognition to create more usable products and work environments. There are enormous reasons to study Human Factors Psychology. A multidisciplinary field that often works with people in other areas, including engineering, medicine and computer science; Human factors psychologists help others by developing products that maximize usability and working to improve worker safety and efficiency.