Considering the Importance of Individual Differences in Human Factors Research: No Longer Simply Confounding Noise

Too often, individual differences are treated as a nuisance variable, and are either controlled in the study or covaried out in the statistical analyses of the results. Yet, to truly generate sound and useful human factors guidelines to facilitate the interaction between humans and systems, we need to fully understand how individual differences in aptitudes interact with the varying circumstances found in today’s complex technological environments. As the title of this session indicates, this panel is organized specifically to highlight the importance of individual differences in human factors research. To address this issue, this panel draws upon the knowledge and experience of a representative sample of professionals from both industry and academia that have investigated the role of individual differences across a variety of domains.As such, the panelists’ remarks cover a broad range of topics. The discussion begins with a general argument of why recognizing individual differences in human capabilities and limitations is necessary. Then, the discussion turns to demonstrating the key role of personality factors in human-machine interaction. From the industry perspective, we are presented with a proposed model with which to reduce musculoskeletal injuries followed by suggestions on how to cope with individual differences in system test and evaluation. The next area addressed is how vigilance decrement differs as a function of the operator’s innate attention skills, a critical issue in light of the current emphasis on airport security. And, finally the last panelist draws attention to the need for ‘adaptive’ systems, where the focus is not merely on human-centered, but rather on person-speczjk design. The goal of this panel session will be to attempt to bridge the diverse remarks made by the panelists and identify a common overarching theme for investigating individual differences in human factors research.