Descriptions of all Technical Groups

Under the auspices of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society are 23 technical groups that are concerned with the human factors aspects of specific application areas. These TGs oversee the technical review of proposals in their respective areas, described below.

The AEROSPACE SYSTEMS group is concerned with the application of human factors to the development, design, certification, operation, and maintenance of human-machine systems in aviation and space environments. The group addresses issues for civilian and military systems in the realms of performance and safety.

The technical group on AGING is concerned with human factors appropriate to meeting the emerging needs of older people and special populations in a wide variety of life settings.

The AUGMENTED COGNITION Technical Group is concerned with fostering the development and application of real-time physiological and neurophysiological sensing technologies that can ascertain a human’s cognitive state while interacting with computing-based systems; data classification and integration architectures that enable closed-loop system applications; mitigation (adaptive) strategies that enable efficient and effective system adaptation based on a user’s dynamically changing cognitive state; individually tailored training systems; and roadmaps for future directions concerning augmented cognition science and technology and guidelines of use for the technology and the user information that may be garnered from it.

The COGNITIVE ENGINEERING AND DECISION MAKING TECHNICAL GROUP encourages research on human cognition and decision making and the application of this knowledge to the design of systems and training programs. Emphasis is on considerations of descriptive models, processes, and characteristics of human decision making, alone or in conjunction with other individuals or intelligent systems; factors that affect decision making and cognition in naturalistic task settings; technologies for assisting, modifying, or supplementing human decision making; and training strategies for assisting or influencing decision making.

The COMMUNICATIONS TECHNICAL GROUP is concerned with all aspects of human-to-human communication, with special emphasis on communication mediated by technology. Includes telephone services, multimedia communications (e.g., Internet services, Internet telephony, interactive TV, desktop videoconferencing, collaborative communications, and multimedia information services). Includes the design and evaluation of user interfaces of products, systems, and services; enabling technologies such as speech and pen input, telephone, and TV input devices; and infrastructure technologies such as operations software, product documentation, and training.

The COMPUTER SYSTEMS TECHNICAL GROUP is concerned with human factors in the design of computer systems. This includes the user-centered design of hardware, software, applications, documentation, work activities, and the work environment. Practitioners and researchers in the CSTG community take a holistic, systems approach to the design and evaluation of all aspects of user-computer interactions. Some goals are to ensure that computer systems are useful, usable, safe, and, where possible, fun; and to enhance the quality of work life and recreational/educational computer use by ensuring that computer interface, function, and job design are interesting and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth.

The EDUCATION GROUP is concerned with the education and training of human factors and ergonomics specialists. This includes undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education needs, issues, techniques, curricula, and resources. In addition, a forum is provided to discuss and resolve issues involving professional registration and accreditation.

The ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN TECHNICAL GROUP is concerned with the relationship between human behavior and the designed environment. Common areas of research and interest include ergonomic and macroergonomic aspects of design within home, office, and industrial settings. An overall objective of this group is to foster and encourage the integration of ergonomics principles into the design of environments.

The FORENSICS PROFESSIONAL GROUP is concerned with the application of human factors knowledge and techniques to "standards of care" and accountability established within the legislative, regulatory, and judicial systems. The emphasis is on providing a scientific basis to human factors/ergonomics issues raised within these systems.

The HEALTH CARE TECHNICAL GROUP (Formerly Medical Systems and Rehabilitation) The Health Care Technical Group is interested in maximizing the contributions of human factors and ergonomics to medical systems effectiveness and the quality of life of people who are functionally impaired.

The HUMAN PERFORMANCE MODELING TECHNICAL GROUP The Human Performance Modeling Technical Group focuses on the development and application of predictive, reliable, and executable quantitative models of human performance. It considers the human, engaged in some goal-directed behavior, in the context of a specific task environment.

The INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN PERFORMANCE TECHNICAL GROUP serves those who share an interest in any of the wide range of personality and individual difference variables that are believed to mediate performance.

The INDUSTRIAL ERGONOMICS TECHNICAL GROUP is concerned with the application of ergonomics data and principles for improving safety, productivity, and quality of work in industry. It concentrates on service and manufacturing processes, operations, and environments, including the design of products that form the basis of industrial employment.

The INTERNET TECHNICAL GROUP seeks to create a community for professionals from industry, academia, and government who share a common interest in Internet technologies and related behavioral phenomena. Areas of interest include user interface design of Web content, Web-based applications, Web browsers, Webtops, Web-based user assistance, and Internet devices; behavioral and sociological phenomena associated with distributed network communication; human reliability in administration and maintenance of data networks; and accessibility of Web-based products.

The MACROERGONOMICS TECHNICAL GROUP (formerly the Organizational Design and Management Technical Group) focuses on organizational design and management issues in human factors and ergonomics as well as work system design and human-organization interface technology. The TG is committed to improving work system performance (e.g., productivity, quality, health and safety, quality of work life) by promoting work system analysis and design practice and the supporting empirical science concerned with the technological subsystem, personnel subsystem, external environment, organizational design, and their interactions.

The PERCEPTION AND PERFORMANCE TECHNICAL GROUP promotes the exchange of information concerning perception and its relation to human performance. Areas of concern include the nature, content, and quantification of sensory information and the context in which it is displayed; the physics and psychophysics of information display; perceptual and cognitive representation and interpretation of displayed information; assessment of workload using tasks having a significant perceptual component; and actions and behaviors that are consequences of information presented to the various sensory systems.

The PRODUCT DESIGN TECHNICAL GROUP is dedicated to developing consumer products that are useful, usable, safe, and desirable. By applying the principles and methods of human factors, consumer research, and industrial design, the group works to ensure the success of products sold in the marketplace.

The SAFETY TECHNICAL GROUP is concerned with the development and application of human factors technology as it relates to safety in all settings and attendant populations. These include, but are not limited to, aviation, transportation, industry, military, office, public building, recreation, and home environments.

The SURFACE TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL GROUP provides a forum for individuals involved or interested in human factors to exchange information, methodologies, and ideas related to the international surface transportation field. Surface transportation encompasses numerous mechanisms for conveying humans and resources: passenger, commercial, and military vehicles, on- and off-road; mass transit; maritime transportation; rail transit, including Vessel Traffic Services (VTS); pedestrian and bicycle traffic; and highway and infrastructure systems, including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).

The SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL GROUP offers a forum for fostering research and exchanging information on the integration of human factors and ergonomics into the development of systems. Members are concerned with defining human factors/ergonomics activities and integrating them into the system development process in order to enable systems that meet user requirements. Specific topics of interest include the system development process itself; developing tools and methods for predicting and assessing human capabilities and limitations, notably modeling and simulation; creating principles that identify the role of humans in the use, operation, maintenance, and control of systems;applying human factors and ergonomics data and principles to the design of human-system interfaces; and the full integration of human requirements into system and product design through the application of Human Systems Integration (HSI) methods to ensure technical and programmatic integration of human considerations into systems acquisition and product development processes. the impact of increasing computerization, and stress and workload effects on performance.

The TEST AND EVALUATION TECHNICAL GROUP consists of people interested in all aspects of human factors and ergonomics as applied to the evaluation of systems. Evaluation is a core skill for all human factors professionals and includes measuring performance, workload, situational awareness, safety, and acceptance of personnel engaged in operating and maintaining systems. Evaluation is conducted during system development when prototype equipment and systems are being introduced to operational usage and at intervals thereafter during the operational life of these systems.

The TRAINING TECHNICAL GROUP provides a mechanism for information and interchange among people interested in training and training research.

The VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS TECHNICAL GROUP is concerned with human factors issues associated with human-virtual environment interaction. These issues include maximizing human performance efficiency in virtual environments, ensuring health and safety, and circumventing potential social problems through proactive assessment. For VE/VR systems to be effective and well received by their users, researchers need to focus significant efforts on addressing human factors issues. For information about joining an HFES technical group, visit the Web site, http://hfes.org.

Technical Groups.

Download a Technical Group application (PDF: 135 KB).

Note that HFES Technical Groups maintain and operate their own Web sites.

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