This research note seeks an empirical understanding of the relationship between the physical characteristics of a large-scale system and human performance, and formalizing these empirical results into several measures of large scale complexity. Behavioral computer models of the human operator in a large-scale environment were then constructed, and the models were found consistent with human behavior. This approach showed subtle performance improvement for aided subjects. Keywords: Man-machine, Computer models, Human performance, Communication networks.

This research note seeks an empirical understanding of the relationship between the physical characteristics of a large-scale system and human performance, and formalizing these empirical results into several measures of large scale complexity. Behavioral computer models of the human operator in a large-scale environment were then constructed, and the models were found consistent with human behavior. This approach showed subtle performance improvement for aided subjects. Keywords: Man-machine, Computer models, Human performance, Communication networks.

The increased use of automation in aircraft, ships, process plants, transportation networks, and other large-scale systems is changing the human's role in such systems. The manual activities of the human operator are increasingly supplanted by monitoring of automation and occasional problem solving activities. This thesis focuses on these problem solving activities. Models of human problem solving are reviewed, with emphasis on those applicable to situations involving human-machine interaction in detecting, diagnosing, and compensation for system failures. From this review it emerges that most models developed thus far focus on a single aspect of problem solving. An overall model is presented, which considers the full breadth and robustness of human problem solving behavior in dynamic environments. A realization of the general structure of this model within a particular rule-based computer program is discussed. Results are presented from applying this program to modeling human problem solving in a process control task. (Author).

This book looks at the process of human cognition and the way complex problems are solved by decomposing them into a list of strategic objectives, before focusing individually on each objective to plan for a tactical solution. This process has been formulated by military planners in the form of the Standard Operating Procedure, by which problem solving is organised into four different stages: deliberation, planning, war meeting and plan execution. This has enabled the development of a methodology for problem solving in a dynamic environment. This is illustrated with the help of a six-case study in chess and prediction of exchange rate movement in a foreign exchange market.

This research note summarizes three years of a four year contract to study ways of improving human performance in highly integrated systems in such areas as communications, transportation, manufacturing, etc. Rule-based computer models of human performance (CAIN) are discussed, as are methods form measuring the complexity of the task of monitoring these large-scale systems. Finally, the development of a computer model (MABEL) which requires subjects to monitor a large-scale communications network is described. Keywords: Man machine systems; CAIN(Contextually Augmented Integrated Network); MABEL(Monitoring Accessing Browsing and Evaluating Limits).