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Human Factors Affecting Decision in Virtual
Operator Reasoning
Lydie Edward, Domitile Lourdeaux, and Jean-Paul Barthes
Heudiasyc Laboratory UMR 6599 CNRS, University of Technology of Compiegne,
Centre de Recherches de Royallieu, 60200 Compiegne, France
Abstract.
In this paper we present our research on virtual operator cog-
nitive modeling and reasoning. They operate in a virtual environment for
risk prevention. We want to model the influence of their cognitive states
and personality on their decisions and actions in the environment. The
purpose of our research is to design a system that generates behavior-
based errors to support learning and risk prevention. It uses new mech-
anisms taking into account human factors and human behavior model
regarding risky situations. We make use of the COCOM and CREAM
model describing the different states or control mode in which an agent
can be regarding to a lack of time or a temporal pressure. A challenge
is to implement these models to produce the expected flexible, contex-
tual and erroneous behaviors in both normal and constrained working
conditions.
1
Introduction
The emergence of knowledge engineering tools for risk analysis and researches
in cognitive and behavioral modeling give us the opportunity to develop tools to
improve training and decision making for managing a team and/or preventing
risks.
In our work, our goal is to highlight the link between some risky and damaged
situations and the cognitive state of a human operator. We want to explain why
in a certain context the operator choose a way than another. We want to intro-
duce unexpected variations so that training scenarios are no longer predefined
and ideal. This feature is particularly interesting when training objectives are
not only to acquire the correct procedure, but also to highlight the diculties of
cooperative work and the constraints linked to hazardous professional activities.
One of our particular concerns is also to understand how errors can be linked
explicitly to situational, human and socio-organizational dimension. It is widely
acknowledged that human and organizational factors play a critical role on hu-
man decisional process. The question is what is the most influential factors that
affects decision ? Our system aims to take into account various situational con-
straints and human-factors issues to support the generation of the subsequent
variations in the way virtual operators are behaving and applying the procedures
to achieve their task. Such constraints could be the result of the combination
of cognitive and physical parameters such as tiredness, stress, expertise, hunger,
