Sources of Error in Naturalistic Decision Making Tasks

There are several reasons to study decision errors. We can learn about reasoning processes from instances where they break down. We can also try to find ways to reduce the chances for decision errors. While there have been a number of excellent studies of naturally-occurring errors (e.g., Fitts & Jones, 1947; Norman, 1981; Rasmussen, 1982; Reason, 1990; Swain & Guttmann, 1983), these studies have examined the full range of human errors. The goal of my study was much more modest: to examine errors linked to faulty judgment, or inadequate problem solving or decision making, in order to gain a sense of why such errors would arise in field settings.

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