Control Theory for Humans: Quantitative Approaches To Modeling Performance

✍ Scribed by Richard J. Jagacinski, John M. Flach

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 394
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This textbook provides a tutorial introduction to behavioral applications of control theory. Control theory describes the information one should be sensitive to and the pattern of influence that one should exert on a dynamic system in order to achieve a goal. As such, it is applicable to various forms of dynamic behavior. The book primarily deals with manual control (e.g., moving the cursor on a computer screen, lifting an object, hitting a ball, driving a car), both as a substantive area of study and as a useful perspective for approaching control theory. It is the experience of the authors that by imagining themselves as part of a manual control system, students are better able to learn numerous concepts in this field. Topics include varieties of control theory, such as classical, optimal, fuzzy, adaptive, and learning control, as well as perception and decision making in dynamic contexts. The authors also discuss implications of control theory for how experiments can be conducted in the behavioral sciences. In each of these areas they have provided brief essays intended to convey key concepts that enable the reader to more easily pursue additional readings. Behavioral scientists teaching control courses will be very interested in this book.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 10
About the Authors......Page 12
Preface......Page 14
1 Perception/ Action: A Systems Approach......Page 16
2 Closing the Loop......Page 23
3 Information Theory and Fitts’ Law......Page 32
4 The Step Response: First-Order Lag......Page 42
5 Linear Systems: Block Diagrams and Laplace Transforms......Page 48
6 The Step Response: Second-Order System......Page 61
7 Nonproportional Control......Page 73
8 Interactions Between Information and Dynamic Constraints......Page 89
9 Order of Control......Page 102
10 Tracking......Page 119
11 There Must Be 50 Ways to See a Sine Wave......Page 127
12 A Qualitative Look at Fourier Analysis......Page 135
13 The Frequency Domain: Bode Analysis......Page 152
14 The Frequency Domain: Describing the Human Operator......Page 173
15 Additional Adaptive Aspects of the Crossover Model......Page 183
16 Driving Around in Circles......Page 199
17 Continuous Tracking: Optimal Control......Page 210
18 Estimating and Predicting the State of a Dynamic System With Lag-Like Calculations......Page 227
19 Varieties of Variability......Page 237
20 Lifting a Glass of Juice......Page 254
21 Sine Wave Tracking Is Predictably Attractive......Page 267
22 Going With the Flow: An Optical Basis for the Control of Locomotion......Page 284
23 Fuzzy Approaches to Vehicular Control......Page 306
25 Some Parallels Between Decision Making and Manual Control......Page 318
26 Designing Experiments With Control Theory in Mind......Page 346
27 Adaptation and Design......Page 357
Appendix: Interactive Demonstrations......Page 375
B......Page 382
F......Page 383
I......Page 384
M......Page 385
R......Page 386
T......Page 387
Z......Page 388
C......Page 390
F......Page 391
N......Page 392
S......Page 393
W......Page 394