“Words, Words, Words”

TLDR

Human factors engineering traditionally focuses on tools and systems, but this paper highlights the neglected role of the language and words used with those systems. The paper argues that the language and words in man‑machine interfaces belong to human factors engineering and calls for research to fill this gap. Evidence shows that modifying the words in man‑machine interfaces can yield larger performance gains than redesigning the machines themselves.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to call to attention a very large and important area of human factors engineering that is almost entirely neglected. This area consists of the language and the words that are attached to the tools, machines, systems, and operations with which human factors engineers are concerned. Examples, illustrations, and data are cited to show that changes in the words used in man-machine systems may produce greater improvements in performance than human engineering changes in the machine itself. Arguments are made that this province—the language and words of machines—is properly the concern of the human factors engineer, and not of the grammarian, linguist, or the communication theorist. The paper concludes with an outline of some of the kinds of work that needs to be done to fill these important gaps in our knowledge and technology.