Cognitive Reliability in Manned Systems

Human components in manned systems often compensate for hardware error by utilizing other information and past experience in addition to the normal hardware output. However, errors in human information processing and utilization, cognitive reliability, often lowers the overall system reliability. Cognitive reliability in manned systems is discussed in terms of the types of human errors which may occur and in terms of factors which affect the occurrence of these errors. It is a complex function of attitudinal and structural factors and their interaction. Cognitive reliability is useful for examining man´s role in complex systems where cognitive as well as perceptual-motor skills are required.