Traditionally, engineers expect human beings to think and behavior rationally, according to logical rules and conventions. In particular, systems engineers expect the stakeholders, including operators, users and executives, to consider safety and risks rationally. The problem is that all people, including engineers, behave according to implicit rules that do not seem rational in terms common practices. A main challenge in systems engineering is to identify and specify the factors affecting real thinking and behavior, and to design the system such that they fit these implicit rules.
Updated on 05 May 2017.