Citation

Nuutinen M. Cogn. Technol. Work 2005; 7(4): 288-305.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10111-005-0013-9

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article discusses how shifting the focus of research to the emotional side of human actions and cognition could create new perspectives on the problem of how to support the human operator in the control of rare disturbances. A new construct, Expert Identity, is described. A qualitative study of the specific problems with changing the operator generation at a nuclear power plant is presented. The results indicate that the current identity of the trainees is more or less still one of the trainees. The conceived demands of operator work and the perceived learning opportunities are characterised by a dichotomy: disturbances or other exceptional situations emerge as different from daily work. The key challenge and motive for the trainees in the development of expertise is to achieve not only an adequate degree of competence but also to construct confidence in being able to cope with potential disturbance situations.

Language: en