User strategies in recovering from errors in man–machine systems

Abstract Safety science has long been dominated by the concept of error suppression or prevention. With the increasing complexity of man–machine systems, however, error recovery may seem an important supplementary safety goal since total error prevention may be difficult to achieve. This article presents an elaborate examination of the different processes of error recovery (i.e. detection, explanation, correction), the stages at which they might occur, and the types of recovery goals that users may set themselves. A research framework is proposed on the basis of a taxonomy of user strategies which could support error recovery. User strategies can range from information search strategies (i.e. inner feedback, system error cueing, communications) to planning behaviours and learning from errors. The research framework explores how error detection and correction may vary as a function of error types, recovery stages, and user strategies. The benefits of this framework are illustrated in the context of system design and training regimes which can enhance recovery from errors.