Stress and operator decision making in coping with emergencies

• Published in: International journal of human-computer studies 1996, Vol.45 (1), p.75-104
• Main Author: Kontogiannis, Tom
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Artificial intelligence; Cognitive systems; Computer science; control theory; systems; Computer simulation; Connectionism. Neural networks; Decision making; Decision theory. Utility theory; Emergencies; Exact sciences and technology; Learning and adaptive systems; Monitoring; Nuclear industry; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Personnel
• ISSN: 1071-5819; 1095-9300
• DOI: 10.1006/ijhc.1996.0043

Although considerable effort has been put into the design of hardware-oriented strategies for mitigating high risk emergencies, the role of decision aids and training strategies to support human performance under stress has not been explored systematically. This has important implications for the management of emergencies since inadequacies in decision-making skills may jeopardise the success of any hardware-oriented mitigations. This paper proposes a quasi-analytical framework of decision making under stress to integrate findings of the stress literature and identify cognitive activities and skills involved in decision making. Practical implications of the proposed framework include; designing simulations of system emergencies, monitoring and analysing operator performance under stress, and providing guide- lines for making training hypotheses about instructional strategies which could potentially lead to improved performance. A case study from the nuclear industry is also presented to illustrate the theoretical framework and the proposed tools.