Human Error (Paperback)

~ James Reason (Author) "Just over 60 years ago, Spearman (1982) grumbled that "crammed as psychological writings are, and must needs be, with allusions to errors in an incidental..." (more)
Key Phrases: attentional control mode, cognitive underspecification, conscious workspace, Three Mile Island, United States, Oyster Creek (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an in-depth analytical framework of human error..." Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing

"...a comprehensive and often innovative treatment of human error that is both readable and informative." Gavan Lintern, Human Factors Society Bulletin

Product Description

Modern technology has now reached a point where improved safety can only be achieved through a better understanding of human error mechanisms. In its treatment of major accidents, the book spans the disciplinary gulf between psychological theory and those concerned with maintaining the reliabiblity of hazardous technologies. Much of the theoretical structure is new and original, and of particular importance is the identification of cognitive processes common to a wide variety of error types.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (October 26, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521314194
• ISBN-13: 978-0521314190
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,318 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #35 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Cognitive
  #93 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Biology
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The fundamentals, May 16, 2000

By	Robert Barth "ebarth10" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Anyone with any interest in error reduction, or in the way humans interact with technology should start here. The psychological analysis of how and why we commit errors is fascinating, and influences the way one thinks about daily events. I find myself saying "Aha, that was a capture error," and "Damn! I've fallen for the fundamental attribution error again." The real lesson is that errors derive from the very nature of human behavior--the mechanisms which enable us to solve complex problems also make errors inevitable. This realization changes entirely one's concept of industrial accidents and medical mistakes.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Human Error - by James Reason, January 9, 2002

By A Customer

An excellent treatise on the subject of human error, written with a cognitive psychology approach. The treatment of the subject matter is more theoretical and less practice-oriented. The book begins with clear definitions, classifications and explanations on the different types of errors, quickly runs through the relevant literature and scientific studies and expands on the typology using Rasmussen's classification as a base. The author then goes on to describe his well-known Swiss Cheese model and provides an excellent overview of accident causation from a system-thinking perspective. He ends with a note on the methodological assessment of error risks which is perhaps more relevant to safety practitioners. The entire book is written in clear simple language that is easily understood, fascinating and intellectually stimulating, even to non-psychologists.

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reason--More than the author's name, April 17, 2000

By	Harvey M. Solomon (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This is a wonderful book; it's lessons will be appreciated by everyone who has experienced working with complex systems and the problems they create for managers. I have used it for many years to introduce residents in Pathology to human errors in clinical laboratories. The classification of errors which Reason presents is applicable to all areas of human activity. I am constantly reminded by this book and by personal experience of the old adage.. "No one can think of all the answers that come to fools." This book provides a deep insight into the psychological mechanisms all of us use in the decision making process. Accidents are one of the types of human error covered in great detail. Several examples from the nuclear power industry are presented and the clear message is that that accidents begin in conventional ways but rarely proceed along predictable lines. One can only marvel that there has been no reported major accident involving nulcear weapons--yet. What applies to the nuclear power industry appears to have broad application and suggests to me that our species has not descended as faras it needs to since automatic behaivor is so prevalent and persistent.