Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Life Sciences - Department of Psychology

Teaching

Some words about the research course engineering psychology!

Teaching in the Engineering Psychology research course is addressing psychology students with a focus on occupational and organisational psychology and computer science students who choose psychology as an optional subject. Besides that, any student from one of the other two Berlin's universities (TU or FU) is welcome to attend our course program. Her or his achievements will be acknowledged by the own university as a result of the contract between Berlin's universities.

The aim of Engineering Psychology is the design of technical systems in a way that they can be controlled, monitored, and used by humans in a fast, safe and effortless manner. This needs the adaptation of technical systems to human characteristics, particularly to human processes of perception, memory and action control, to the knowledge and experience of individual people and to their specific tasks.

Engineering Psychology therefore imparts knowledge about these mental processes and structures. It helps to analyse, assess and influence, i.e. design, technological developments from the angle of man-machine relationships. Particular attention is directed to information and communication technology. Analysis, design and evaluation of interactive computer systems builds the focus of this course.

An oral examination completes the course but beforehand a "certificate of achievement" must be obtained by delivering a written report in a seminar.

 

Course Units

Teaching comprises two stages: introductory and advanced stage.

  • Course units of the introductory stage attend the orientation over the subject.
  • Course units of the advanced stage attend the theory-oriented consolidation and practical application of knowledge, as well as for exercising selected methods.

Course units from both stages are suited for preparing research assignments.