Practice What We Teach

Reviews the book "Human Factors in System Design, Development, and Testing" by David Meister and Thomas P. Enderwick (covered in its original form in record 2001-01657-000). This book is an attempt to critically apply the methods of human factors to the practice of human factors. It is an exercise that breaks new ground, and in doing so, exposes the shortcomings and unfulfilled promises of the field. A primary theme is that human factors practitioners advocate the importance of studying and analyzing user tasks and of providing information to users at the time and in the form that they need it. Considerable exploration is given to conceptualization of the design process. The book also calls attention to our paltry knowledge of a topic of paramount interest-the "user." At one level the book is benign; it is simply an honest attempt to describe the process of system design and to discuss how the human factors specialist can be more effective at influencing design. At a deeper level, however, the book indicts the field of human factors for failing to practice what it preaches and for being fundamentally blind about that failure. Who should read this book? The leaders in the field should read it and take it to heart. It should influence their behavior in educating students and in directing the future paths of the discipline. Those about to receive a doctorate in the field should also read it, although its value to them will be greater when they reread it a few years later. The impact of the book could be to spur interest in research on design and to focus development efforts on those tools that will increase the effectiveness of the specialist in influencing the behavior of the designer. Such an impact is desirable and would be useful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)