(127a) Human Performance Modes: Demystifying the SRK Model for Practical Application

The skill-, rule-, and knowledge-based performance mode schema published by Jens Rasmussen in the early 1980s is an essential framework for understanding human cognition and processing of tasks. Specific criteria within these three mental models can be applied proactively to recognize when an individual is vulnerable to error and the probabilities involved. Despite decades of research in this area and work to extend this model through the generic error modeling system by James Reason, remarkably the method has not achieved widespread use in most industries. Moreover, when the framework is taught to others, it is often misunderstood and misapplied which can be detrimental to organizations. The author describes the practical application of the SRK model to demystify the science and translate the fundamentals in a manner that can be applied at work, at home, and at play. The paper reviews the basic ‘human error’ science, how the science can be applied to reduce the probability of error, and typical applications where these methods have a proven track record of performance improvement in over 300 organizations.