Simplification Of Complexity: The Use Of Simulation To Analyse The Reliability Of Cognition

In order to be adequate, safety and reliability analyses of man-machine interaction must account for the dynamics of the interaction. There is therefore a need for models that can describe the dynamics of human cognition and performance. Most existing models are developed for static analyses and are too restrained in their assumptions to serve as a basis for simulations. The paper describes a contextual control model of cognition, which focuses on how the choice of actions is determined by how the current situation develops. This model has been used as part of a joint man-machine simulation tool designed to evaluate the effect of human actions on system performance.