engineering psychology

a subfield of human factors psychology concerned with identifying the psychological principles that govern human interaction with environments, systems, and products and applying these principles to issues of engineering and design. Engineering psychologists may consult with architects and designers of various industrial and consumer products (e.g., airplanes, automobiles, home appliances, electronics and software applications) while specializing in such areas as ergonomics, human–computer interaction, or usability engineering. Engineering psychology is often used synonymously with human factors engineering. See also equipment design; human engineering; tool design; workspace design.

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Psychology term of the day

November 24th 2024

cause

1. an event or state that brings about another (its effect).

2. in Aristotelian and rationalist philosophy, an entity or event that is a requirement for another entity or event’s coming to be. Aristotle proposed that there were four types of cause—material, formal, efficient, and final. In the case of a sculpture, for example, the material cause is the stone or metal from which it is made, the formal cause is the form or structure that it takes, the efficient cause is the sculptor, and the final cause is the sculptor’s aim or purpose in making it. —causal adj.