Human Factors in Performance

Human and Environmental Factors

• Human factors include various physiological aspects impacting performance and well-being.
• Environmental factors also influence these elements.

Human Factors

• Age: A significant factor affecting various physiological processes and behaviors.
• Gender: Another aspect influencing potential performance.
• Height: Impacts body measurements and potential limitations in tasks.
• Weight: Affects body mass index and potential health considerations.
• Body Mass Index (BMI): The ratio of weight to height, used to assess body composition. BMI categories are typically used to assess overweight, underweight, or obesity. BMI has limitations, ignoring variations in physique and muscle/fat composition.
• Body Fat Percentage: The ratio of total body fat to total body weight, which is a measure of body composition uninfluenced by height and weight.
• Heart Rate: A measure of the heart's contractions per minute (bpm). It adapts based on physical demands, activities (like exercise, sleep, stress etc.).
• Strength: The ability to exert force. Different strength types exist, like static and dynamic.
• Dexterity: Fine motor coordination, especially synchronization of the hands, fingers relative to the eyes. Various classifications exist, like dexterity among fingers.
• Visual Acuity: Determines one's ability to see detail. Factors affect eye's ability to ascertain detail, including the physiological capabilities of the visual receptors and nerve pathways that transmit information to the brain.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

• Defined as body mass divided by height squared (kg/m²).
• Used frequently to assess whether an individual's body weight is within a healthy range.
• BMI categories are generally useful for classifying individuals. This tool has exceptions for athletes, children, the elderly, and the infirm.

Body Fat Percentage

• Determined by dividing total body fat mass by total body weight.
• A measure of fitness level, independently measuring body composition without affecting it by height or weight differences.
• Includes essential fat – minimum amount needed for physical and physiological health – and storage fat, which is accumulated in adipose tissue.

Heart Rate

• Measures the heartbeat's speed, typically in beats per minute (bpm).
• Influenced by physical needs, including oxygen absorption and carbon dioxide excretion.
• Factors influencing heart rate include exercise, sleep, anxiety, stress, illness, eating, drugs.
• Heart rate measurement involves either manual (detecting pulse through palpitation) or electronic methods (e.g., ECG, heart rate monitors).
• The resting heart rate is measured when a person is awake, in a stable environment, hasn't recently exerted themselves, and is a crucial measure of fitness and wellness.

Muscular Strength

• Ability to exert force. Falls into different kinds of strength, including isometric (static) to dynamic (motion).
• Factors impacting strength include personal factors (e.g., age, gender), task influences (e.g., posture, duration), and environmental influences (e.g., temperature).

Dexterity

• Coordination of small muscle movements (primarily hands/fingers with eyes).
• Classifications can be categorized, based on different body parts.

Visual Acuity

• Ability to distinguish fine details, affected by visual receptor ability and nerve pathways to the brain.

Additional Visual Skills (Chernck, 1983)

• Visual Acuity: Ability to see fine detail.
• Near Point of Convergence: Closest point where target is seen distinctly (using both eyes).
• Stereopsis: Ability to perceive depth in three dimensions.
• Fusion: Ability to combine two ocular images into a single perception.
• Color Vision: Ability to discern colors.
• Accommodation: Ability to adjust focus for varied distances.
• Eye Movements: Smooth tracking of moving targets.
• Visual-Motor Integration: Coordination of eyes and extraocular muscles.