In this talk, the speaker outlines a framework for understanding human error, categorizing it into knowledge‑based errors, slip errors, and omission errors. Knowledge‑based errors arise when users lack familiarity with a device’s functions; slip errors occur when routine actions are forgotten despite knowing they are needed (e.g., leaving an umbrella behind); omission errors happen when a step in a task is missed due to interruptions or loss of attention. The speaker then describes resilient strategies that individuals can adopt to reduce such mistakes, such as placing visual cues to trigger memory and providing targeted training to address knowledge gaps. Finally, the talk emphasizes the role of device design in error mitigation, illustrating how modest design changes—like having an ATM dispense the card before cash—can align with users’ intentions and dramatically lower error rates.
Chapters
The type of research that I'm involved in is understanding human error. Now there's several different classifications of human error. There's error that's associated with a lack of knowledge. A user of a particular device, if we use the example that you've got a new mobile phone, you might not know all the functions, so maybe you know you might want to play place a phone call, for example, but you don't know how to do that on a particular device. So there you can make an error when using devices that you're unfamiliar with, and these errors are often associated with a lack of knowledge. Slip errors are an everyday occurrence. They can be associated with everyday routine. For example, you might watch a weather forecast and realize that 'You should take your umbrella with you,' but on the way out of a house, for example, you might realize that you've forgotten your umbrella. You have the knowledge that you needed your umbrella for a particular day, but for some reason you've forgotten it. But of course, people develop strategies to avoid these types of errors. I mean, a classic example is that if you know you want to take your umbrella with you, you put it in a position when you leave your house that you're going to walk past, so you'll see it and remember it. As a cue to memory. I mean, so this type of cue is almost— can be conceptualized as a resilient strategy that individuals can develop to remain guarded over making particular everyday errors. Training is important for the avoidance of knowledge-based errors. If a user simply doesn't know how to use a device, then they're more likely to make errors if they've got insufficient training. However, there's a whole set of human errors, including errors where, of omission, where people forget a particular task step. They might have done that particular routine a number of times, but due to a circumstance such as an interruption or just a lack of attention, an error might occur. So, we have to think about how do we safeguard against those types errors, and one way of doing that is through device design. Now with device design, some of the modifications can be quite trivial, but as long as they support what a user's thinking and their intentions, then the likelihood of error could be minimized. A classic example is using an ATM machine, a cash machine. Before they were redesigned, users would often walk away from the machine without their card. So cash machines have been redesigned so that they give the card before dispensing the money. So a simple modification like that can actually avoid human error.
