Qualitative methodology offers the opportunity for ergonomists to investigate work problems and research questions using context-sensitive tools for data collection and analysis. This is particularly useful in contexts with complex social and cultural dimensions, for example the high level of emotional and intimate personal interactions between staff and patients in the health care industry. Two aims have been achieved in this thesis. The first is to set out a clear process for using qualitative methodology in ergonomics by taking a middle ground position with respect to the background philosophy. A generic process for carrying out qualitative research is described and shown in detail in the two case studies. The ergonomists case study found that there was considerable interest in expanding the ergonomics tool box to include qualitative methodology. However concerns were raised about a perceived lack of knowledge with respect to the process for doing qualitative research. This needs to be addressed by including teaching qualitative methodology in ergonomics courses. The second aim is use qualitative methodology to identify characteristics of hospitals with respect to the practice of ergonomics. Three themes emerged: organisational issues (complexity and size); staff issues (multiplicity of professionals and gender); and patient issues (dirty and emotional work; patient expectations; and life, death and mistakes). These themes were also found in the practical case study on manual handling problems in occupational therapy. This suggests that knowledge of the characteristics of an industry can help the ergonomist to understand the context of the work problem or research question. A final dynamic model of ergonomics is proposed to bring together the internal dimensions of a person (representing physical, cognitive and spiritual levels) and the external dimensions of their interactions at a micro level (e. g. tasks) and at wider organisational and societal levels (macro). This model shows the importance of using qualitative methodology to achieve a more complete understanding of human interactions: the basis of the definition of ergonomics.

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A survey of car manufacturers reveals an impressive list of upcoming technologies, the combined effect of which is likely to have a profound impact upon feedback to the driver. Feedback is information that the situation provides back to the driver and is specified with reference to content, source, and timing. Feedback quality is achieved when the information requirements of the task, derived from a new task analysis of driving, are matched to the sources, content, and timing of feedback provided by the environment and the vehicle. An exploratory on-road study begins by observing that better quality feedback is implicated in increasing driver's situational awareness (even though drivers have little self awareness of this fact), and optimising mental workload. The exploratory level of analysis builds into the experimental, whereby a highly controlled simulator study replicates and builds upon these findings. Feedback is again seen to positively influence situational awareness, where changes in driver's confidence ratings as to the presence or absence of feedback information in the simulation were observed, according to the modality of feedback presented. This was achieved with a probe recall paradigm, and using psychophysical techniques as a useful extension to the Situational awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAI). Similarly, an analysis of mental workload via the NASA TLX self report questionnaire demonstrates that a combination of visual, steering force feedback and auditory feedback gives rise to lower mental workload, lower driver frustration, and lower, though possibly more realistic self ratings of performance. This knowledge can be discussed with reference to a feedback framework of driving that provides the theoretical backdrop to the key psychological variables implicated in driving task performance. Overall, the findings contribute to knowledge in terms of new and imaginative ways of designing future vehicle technologies in order to maximise safety, efficiency, and enjoyment.

The critical interface between learners and computer-based learning materials is the screen. If the display of learning is not effective then learning will be hindered. Screen design is therefore an important element in the design of computer-based learning. This research investigated the three fundamental screen design elements of text, colour and graphics. A review of literature, experimental design and a limited survey of computer-based learning materials provided the background for this research. The experimental materials reflected the results of the review and survey by using representative subjects, providing a learning focus and employing computerbased materials. Two experiments were undertaken. The Colour and Graphics experiments considered the effects of a number of variables on learners' behaviour which included: the use of colour; the size and type of graphics; the learner's prior knowledge of tutorial subject; and the complexity of the display. The results of this research showed that colour is a powerful motivating force as long as it is not used excessively. This was identified as the use of more than seven colours. Graphics can be used more extensively in current computer-based learning materials and users preferred representational graphics occupying a quarter to a half of the screen. However, learners were not prepared to make the effort to either use analogical graphics to make links with their prior knowledge or to extract information contained in the structure and form of logical graphics. Subjects were motivated by representational graphics. Learners' behaviour in relation to the various screen displays they encountered was affected by their prior knowledge of the tutorial content. This was apparent in their choice of options (additional modules) within the tutorial, their methods of interacting with the material and their responses to individual displays.

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