Engineering Psychology and Human Performance [Hardcover]

Christopher D. Wickens (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0673461610 | ISBN-13: 978-0673461612 | Publication Date: October 1991 | Edition: 2nd

This text presents both a formal and intuitive understanding of how humans process information in the performance of tasks - highlighting the strengths and limitations for the design of equipment with which people interact.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book presents an intuitive understanding of how humans process information in the performance of tasks—highlighting the strengths and limitations, as well as methods, of performance. Equal emphasis is placed on the implications of these strengths and limitations for the design of equipment with which people interact, and for the design and training of work procedures. Chapter topics include spatial displays, language and communications, memory and training, decision making, selection of action, manual control, and stress and human error. Individuals interested in psychology will appreciate this book's reflection on the link between basic research and real-world applications. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins College Div; 2nd edition (October 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0673461610
• ISBN-13: 978-0673461612
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,595,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A milestone integration of applied pyschology, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Engineering Psychology and Human Performance (Hardcover)

Wickens' book, though slightly dated, provides an integrative review of applied psychological research that remains without peer. It offers students of engineering and design a solid theoretic pillar for the relevant psychological issues. Paired with an applications-oriented text of similar quality, one has much of the material needed for a graduate-level introduction to human factors engineering.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first Wickens book, and definately not to be my last, September 24, 2007

By 

Dustin Hamilton "Dustin" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Engineering Psychology and Human Performance (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

As a budding Usability Engineer I have to say that early in my career I had heard about Wickens as he a prof of Human Factors Engineering around the Chicago area (if I am not mistaken about the area). I bought the book when I could find it on sale once, and it's been a prized possession ever since. Of all my books, only one person I've ever allowed to borrow this one.

This book is very dense, everything that the writer puts forth is not only fully explained in detail, but is also backed-up solidly with cited evidence. It's a great book and I honestly would reccommend anyone into Usability or Human Factors get this book and you'll find too it's in your library and highly used. Personally mine has different colored flags everywhere for different points and things to notice.

I must say though, that this is not a fast read (due to the information), and it's not necessarily a 'fun' read - but for solid information, I dont see how this book can be beat.

-Dustin

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough coverage of research on human factors engineering, September 13, 2007

By 

Leslie Carter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Engineering Psychology and Human Performance (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

Wickens & Hollands cover human factors (which they call engineering psychology in their title) thoroughly in this volume. If you found Donald Norman's "The Psychology of Everyday Things," useful, but want something more in-depth, you may find this academic textbook useful. It covers a great deal of research on several topics critical to software user interface design, such as, attention & perception, spatial displays, memory & training, and decision-making.