High Velocity Human Factors: Human Factors of Mission Critical Domains in Nonequilibrium

Abstract

Mission critical domains (MCDs), such as fire fighting, military combat, etc., experience periods of nonequilibrium. This typically occurs when extended periods of low grade activity are punctuated by intense, high stakes actions unfolding at high velocities (e.g., fighting a fire, engaging in combat, etc.). These periods of nonequilibrium are typically characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Human agents operating under these conditions experience a variety of reactions, such as emotional modulation of cognition, recognition primed decision making, among others. To study this phenomenon a construct named High Velocity Human Factors (HVHF) is defined and described. On the practical side, the HVHF framework will be used to analyze demands placed on personnel operating in MCDs and inform the design of systems and solutions.

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