The Concept of Human Functional State in Russian Applied Psychology

• Main Author: Anna B. Leonova
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University 2009-01-01
• Series: Psychology in Russia: State of Art
• Subjects: activity regulation; job analysis; microstructure of cognitive processes; human functional state; workability; fatigue; mental effort; stress; interruption effects; computerized work.
• Online Access: http://psychologyinrussia.com/volumes/pdf/2009/25_2009_leonova.pdf

The concept of human functional states (HFS) is considered in the framework of activity regulation approach developed in Russian applied psychology. Aimed at the analysis of changes in regulatory mechanisms of on-going activity, structural methods for multilevel assessment of workers’ states are discussed. Three different strategies of data integration are proposed regarding the types of essential practical problems. Their usability is exemplified with the help of two empirical studies concerned with reliability of fire-fighters’ work in the Chernobyl Zone and effects of interruptions in computerized office environment. A general framework for applied HFS research is proposed in order to develop new ecologically valid psychodiagnostic procedures that can help to create efficient stress-management programs for enhancing human reliability and performance in complex job environment.