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Last modified: 12 May 2026 11:16
Human Factors is a broad topic, encompassing multiple disciplines such as physiology, psychology, systems, human-AI interactions, engineering and design. Through this course we will take an applied psychology approach to the study of Human Factors, with a focus on human behaviours, cognition, wellbeing and safety. You will learn via a series of interactive lectures, and real-world case studies, as we explore human factors across a variety of industrial contexts, such as aviation, healthcare, forestry and veterinary.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing eleven men and causing a massive environmental disaster. Human Factors investigations into the disaster identified multiple issues in the lead-up to the incident, including normalisation of deviance, production pressure, failures in communication and poor safety culture. The range of factors highlight the complexity of human factors when applied to industry. The aim of this course is to explore Human Factors from an Applied Psychology perspective, using Psychological knowledge to understand how people interact with the world around them, what leads to errors and accidents, and how we can work to prevent catastrophes such as Deepwater Horizon from happening again.
The course will cover a range of topics, such as:
The course will feature an introduction to Human Factors techniques, including methods of incident assessment. This will be facilitated by the discussion and investigation of real-life critical incidents across a range of high-risk industries.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Critically evaluate case studies of adverse events to determine the primary causal factors. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understand human behaviour at work and the factors that might influence team-based interactions. |
| Factual | Understand | Understand the key Human Factors that can influence safety at work, and how to minimise or mitigate those factors. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided via MyAberdeen. |
Word Count | ||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Critically evaluate case studies of adverse events to determine the primary causal factors. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understand human behaviour at work and the factors that might influence team-based interactions. |
| Factual | Understand | Understand the key Human Factors that can influence safety at work, and how to minimise or mitigate those factors. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Understand human behaviour at work and the factors that might influence team-based interactions. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Critically evaluate case studies of adverse events to determine the primary causal factors. |
| Factual | Understand | Understand the key Human Factors that can influence safety at work, and how to minimise or mitigate those factors. |
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