Time study in ergonomics and psychology

Abstract

Time studies are usually concerned with finding performance time for repetitive tasks that include elements that follow each other in the same sequence from cycle to cycle. The motor activity dominates in this type of tasks. The main purpose of a time study is to determine a standard time for the task performance for planning, control, measure of productivity, define wages, etc. The specialists utilize chronometrical methods of study, or normative data for performance of selected standardized elements of work that include selection of representative operators, evaluation of work pace, rating pace of performance, evaluation of efficiency of selected operators’ performance, etc. An advanced method of time study is based on utilizing determined by the MTM-1 system motion times. This paper presents an overview of time study research applicable to ergonomics and psychology, and the general principles of the behavioral actions performance analysis.