Modeling Human Situation Awareness Under High-Workload Conditions

Abstract

Human situation awareness is a critical factor in human-artifact interaction, particularly under high workloads where errors can have catastrophic consequences. This study investigates the dynamics of human interaction with externally provided tasks and their impact on situation awareness. Using the 1995 Columbia high-tech aircraft accident as a case study, the research examines how resource-bounded human cognition interacts with external environments, exploring the implications of design expectation deviations and the role of dynamic simulations in understanding these phenomena. Findings highlight the influence of cognitive-environmental interactions on situation awareness, the significance of adaptive design strategies in mitigating human errors, and the potential of advanced simulations to enhance awareness in complex systems. The study underscores the importance of integrating human factors into system design and proposes recommendations for improving high-tech system reliability. This work contributes to advancing the understanding of human situation awareness and its implications for safer, more effective human-artifact interactions.