Have you ever felt like a failure because you couldn’t figure out a TV remote or you tried to plug in a USB stick the wrong way three times? What about that time you found yourself pushing a door that was meant to be pulled? Good news! Human factors psychology is here to help!
What is human factors psychology?
Human factors psychology is the subfield of psychology dedicated to the study of our interactions with machines and technology (American Psychological Association, 2014)—from online shopping to flying a plane. Human factors psychology is part of the larger field of human factors and ergonomics, which is an interdisciplinary field that includes psychology, engineering, physiology, and many others (Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, n.d.), all with a common goal of centering the human in the design of products and environments. This subfield bridges psychology and engineering to understand how our human abilities, limitations, and behaviors influence our interactions with machines and technology. In other words, human factors psychology strives to make technology work better for humans.
Human factors psychology everywhere
The work of human factors psychology surrounds you more than you realize. The reason web links turn into different colors when you click them? To account for human memory capacity. The orange lines on your car’s backup camera? To account for human limitations in spatial cognition. Your Snapchat streak icon? Operant conditioning in action! These are some mundane day-to-day examples, but consider critical ones that might have serious public repercussions. On the morning of January 13, 2018, U.S. citizens in Hawaii received an alert on their mobile devices warning them of an inbound ballistic missile. It was a false alarm. There was no missile. Investigations revealed that an emergency management staff member sent the test message on an incorrect platform during a routine test. It took almost 10 minutes before the first cancellation was issued, an additional 10 minutes before officials used social media to notify the public of the false alarm, and another 15 minutes before it was broadcast via the public emergency alert system (local radio and TV). The event caused significant public panic and was attributed to “human error” in official reporting by state officials—sounds a little like the fundamental attribution error in action there. In such situations, human factors psychologists would pause and ask whether the error was the result of poor design and confusing circumstances. For example, was the user interface designed in a way that would confuse the operator? Maybe the “Send alert” button was right next to the “Cancel” button. Were the steps to access the test system similar to the actual alert system? These are the kinds of questions human factors psychologists try to answer to make our interactions with technology easier, more efficient, and in many cases, safer.
To be clear, we are not attributing blame to any specific individual. The human user is ultimately embedded within a broader system. When things fail to work the way they should, these errors and/or failures are part of a larger interconnected system of the environment, policies, the device or tool, and the user and their abilities.
What do human factors psychologists do?
In addition to safety, human factors psychology is often used to make human-technology interactions more effective, efficient, and enjoyable. If filling out an online form has ever made you want to slam your head against your keyboard, you probably understand why this is important. Human factors psychologists in this area typically specialize in usability and/or user experience (UX). Usability refers to whether a given system can be used to achieve a specific goal (e.g., checking out an online shopping cart) effectively, efficiently, and with user satisfaction, while UX refers to user perceptions of and responses to interacting with a particular system, whether before or after the interaction (International Organization for Standardization, 2019). In the field, human factors psychologists conduct usability assessments and user experience research to gain insights on how real people use and react to products and then use those insights to drive product improvements. For example, before releasing a video game, UX researchers may bring in volunteers to test out the game while they observe, ask questions, and gather data on how to improve the player experience.
So, what does a career look like for a human factors psychologist? Typically, human factors psychologists specialize in a particular topic area. For example, someone interested in the psychology of driving could:
Work as a researcher for an automotive company to design dashboard interfaces or assess whether new vehicle technologies can be used safely
Work for federal agencies like the National Transportation Safety Board or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to analyze causes of accidents based on psychology or develop evidence-based recommendations and regulations
Work in academia to conduct longer-term research on driving, potentially in collaboration with or funded by government or industry partners
Human factors psychology spans an incredibly wide range of topic areas. From hardware to software, safety to entertainment, and even robots to humans—this subfield of psychology has something for everyone.
Diving deeper
Interested in learning more? Check out these resources:
Watch the human factors session of the Careers in Applied Psychology panel to hear from real human factors psychologists in diverse career paths.
Listen to these human factors (and human factors-related) psychology episodes of APA’s Speaking of Psychology podcast:
The future of human-robot teams, with Ericka Rovira, PhD (2024)
Mind over Mars: The psychology of space exploration, with Suzanne Bell, PhD (2025)
Psychology takes toys seriously, with Barry Kudrowitz, PhD, and Doris Bergen, PhD (2021)
Connect with APA’s Division 21: Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology.
Browse the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society’s Academic Programsopens in new window site to explore undergraduate and graduate programs related to human factors psychology.
Check to see if your institution has an HFES student chapteropens in new window; consider joining to connect with other students interested in the field.
References
American Psychological Association (2018). Human Factors Psychology Studies Humans and Machines. https://www.apa.org/education-career/guide/subfields/human-factors
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (n.d.). What Is Human Factors and Ergonomics? https://www.hfes.org/About/What-Is-Human-Factors-and-Ergonomicsopens in new window
International Organization for Standardization. (2019). Ergonomics of human–system interaction — Part 210: Human-centered design for interactive systems (ISO Standard No. 9241‑210:2019). https://www.iso.org/standard/77520.htmlopens in new window
About the authors
Mark Chan, PhD, is a program manager on the Integrated Psychology Team. He is responsible for coordinating activities and managing processes with internal and external stakeholders who share the common vision of promoting the application of psychological science to address important societal issues. His current portfolio encompasses workplace psychology, sustainability and climate change, and human-technology interaction. Prior to joining APA, he served on the faculty at Shenandoah University, where he taught courses in cognitive psychology, sensation and perception, and research methods. He earned his BA in psychology from Southwestern College (Kansas) and his PhD in psychology from the University of Kansas.
Allison Garibaldi, PhD, is the applied psychology postdoctoral fellow at APA. Her work focuses on fostering and promoting the application of psychological science to societal issues, including climate and sustainability, workplace issues, and human-technology interaction. Trained in human factors and cognitive psychology, Allison previously worked as a senior research psychologist, leveraging her expertise in human performance to improve training and education systems in the military. Allison received her BS in psychology from the University of Florida and her PhD in human factors and cognitive psychology from the University of Central Florida.
