ABSTRACT
Despite technological advances and increasing automation of many of the functions previously performed by people in complex environments, the role of operators is still significant. People can better detect critical incidents, interpret signs, and make essential decisions for the equilibrium of a system’s performance (Donald, 2001; De Keyser, 2001). Therefore, understanding the various operators’ cognitive activities in modern control rooms becomes a challenge. Control rooms are places where people carry out control and supervision activities of complex systems. Operators are away from the real environment and have to monitor the system through displays, sensors, and communication channels. Aspects of the task involve dealing with system disturbances, which requires a number of cognitive processes, such as perception, planning, decision making, and action control. Operators need to acquire these skills in order to become proficient (Shepherd, 2004).
