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Euler buckling in a wheelbarrow obstacle course: a catastrophe with complex lag.
Behavioral Science
|October 1, 1985
Summary
Human physical work capacity under increasing load can be modeled using catastrophe theory, similar to engineering principles like Euler buckling. This approach reveals how factors like balance and exercise habits influence performance and systemic memory.
Area of Science:
- General Systems Theory
- Biomechanics
- Human Factors Engineering
Background:
- Human physical work capacity is crucial in occupational settings.
- Understanding stress, strain, and fatigue in living systems parallels nonliving systems.
- General systems theory provides a framework for analyzing complex interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply catastrophe theory to model human physical work capacity under increasing load.
- To investigate the relationship between load, performance, and systemic factors.
- To explore the concept of systemic memory in human physical performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a cusp catastrophe model to analyze human performance in a wheelbarrow obstacle course.
- Tested 129 manufacturing plant employees under varying vertical loads.
- Employed a codimension 10 catastrophe model to explain systemic memory, identifying key control variables.
Main Results:
- The cusp model for human load-to-failure was verified (R2 = .68), with vertical load as the asymmetry factor.
- Bifurcation was influenced by body balance, height, and sex-related differences.
- The codimension 10 model explained systemic memory effectively (R2 = .75) using exercise habits, weight, balance, and sex-related differences.
Conclusions:
- Human load-to-failure dynamics share similarities with Euler buckling, with added complexities due to systemic memory.
- Catastrophe models, particularly higher-dimension ones, are valuable for analyzing complex lag effects in human systems.
- The developed models demonstrate transposability to organizational and systemic levels.