Influence of nuclear power plant interface complexity on user decision-making: an ERP study

Area of Science:

• Human Factors Engineering
• Cognitive Psychology
• Nuclear Engineering

Background:

• Nuclear power plant (NPP) safety relies heavily on operator decision-making during critical operations.
• The NPP interface is the primary source of information guiding these decisions, making interface design crucial.
• Interface complexity, among other factors, has the most significant impact on operator decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of interface complexity on user decision-making in NPP environments.
• To identify an optimal range of interface complexity for effective decision-making.
• To propose a novel, fast, and economical method for evaluating NPP interfaces.

Main Methods:

• Utilized event-related potential (ERP) to measure brain responses during decision-making tasks.
• Assessed the relationship between varying levels of interface complexity and operator performance.
• Developed a new evaluation method based on experimental findings.

Main Results:

• Interface complexity has a specific, optimal range that facilitates effective user decision-making.
• The study identified a direct correlation between interface complexity and decision-making efficiency.
• A new evaluation method was proposed, proving faster and more economical than traditional approaches.

Conclusions:

• Interface complexity is a critical factor in NPP operator decision-making and safety.
• An optimal range of interface complexity enhances decision-making performance.
• The proposed evaluation method offers a practical solution for assessing NPP interfaces across all design phases.