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System Thinking in Driving Automation
2025/05/29·StepFun can make mistakes, check important info.
Give me a lit review on how system thinking principles havebeen applied to driving automation systems, focus on the aspects on human operator

I'll help you with a literature review on system thinking principles applied to driving automation systems with a focus on the human operator. To better tailor the review to your needs, I'd like to clarify a few points:

  1. Are you interested in any specific levels of driving automation (e.g., SAE levels 1-5), or should the review cover all automation levels?

  2. Would you like the literature review to focus on any particular aspects of human-automation interaction (e.g., situation awareness, trust, workload, handover situations)?

  3. Do you have a specific timeframe for the literature you'd like covered (e.g., recent publications within the last 5-10 years, or a comprehensive historical review)?

All levels, all aspects, last 20 years

Literature Review: System Thinking Principles Applied to Driving Automation Systems with Focus on Human Operators

I'll prepare a comprehensive literature review examining how system thinking principles have been applied to driving automation systems across all automation levels (SAE Levels 1-5), with specific focus on the human operator aspects. The review will cover relevant literature from the past 20 years (approximately 2005-2025).

The literature review will be organized into the following sections:

  1. Introduction

    • Overview of system thinking principles
    • Relevance to driving automation systems
    • Importance of human factors in automated driving
  2. Theoretical Frameworks

    • Systems engineering approaches in driving automation
    • Socio-technical systems perspective
    • Human-centered automation design principles
  3. Human Operator Aspects Across Automation Levels

    • Mental models and situation awareness
    • Trust and reliance on automation
    • Workload and cognitive demands
    • Mode confusion and automation surprises
    • Skill degradation and retention
  4. Transition of Control

    • Handover/takeover processes
    • Driver readiness an

Deep Research

Problem Breakdown

  1. Identify and define core "system thinking principles" relevant to complex socio-technical systems like driving automation.
  2. Characterize the different "SAE levels of driving automation" (Levels 1-5) and their implications for the human operator's role.
  3. Enumerate and define key "human operator aspects" in the context of driving automation, such as situation awareness, trust, workload, mental models, mode confusion, skill degradation, and the transition of control (handover/takeover).
  4. Explore the intersection of these three areas: how system thinking principles have been used to understand, design, or evaluate the interaction between human operators and driving automation systems across all automation levels.

Action Plan

  1. Conduct initial searches to gather foundational knowledge on "system thinking principles" and their general application in engineering and human factors.
    • Sources: Academic search engines (e.g., Google Scholar), university course materials, foundational texts on systems theory.
  2. Perform targeted searches for literature on "driving automation systems," focusing on definitions of SAE levels and the evolving role of the human operator within each level.
    • Sources: Official SAE International website, publications from transportation research institutions (e.g., NHTSA, TRB), academic journals specializing in transportation and automotive engineering.
  3. Execute comprehensive searches combining keywords such as "system thinking," "driving automation," "automated vehicles," "human operator," "human factors," and specific human operator aspects (e.g., "trust in automation," "situation awareness automated driving," "driver workload Level 3," "handover automation"). Limit searches to the last 20 years (2005-2025).
    • Sources: Academic databases (e.g., IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar), proceedings from relevant conferences (e.g., Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, AutomotiveUI, IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium).
  4. Filter and categorize the retrieved literature based on:
    • The specific system thinking principles discussed or applied.
    • The SAE automation level(s) addressed.
    • The specific human operator aspects investigated.
  5. Synthesize the findings from the categorized literature, identifying common themes, methodologies, key challenges, proposed solutions, and gaps in existing research concerning the application of system thinking to human-operator interaction in driving automation.
  6. Structure the synthesized information into a coherent literature review framework, addressing the introduction, theoretical underpinnings, human operator aspects across automation levels, transition of control, design implications, methodological approaches, challenges, and future research directions.
  • Response time factors
  • Interface design for effective transitions
  1. System Thinking Applications in Practice
    • Design methodologies
    • Testing and validation approaches
    • Safety assessment frameworks

Let me begin by searching for relevant literature.

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system thinking principles driving automation human operator literature review
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
The aim of this paper was to analyse accidents involving automated technologies across the transport modes to identify learning opportunities.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The paper presents a framework to realise “meaningful human control” over Automated Driving Systems.
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
This text examines the key role that human fac- tors plays in driving forward future vehicle automation in a way that realizes the benets while avoiding the ...
aaafoundation.org
A literature review of HMIs in driving automation systems was conducted, with a focus on RTI. The resulting articles were organized and categorized into top ...
mdpi.com
mdpi.com
During the last decade, research has brought forth a large amount of studies that investigated driving automation from a human factor perspective.
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
In this paper, we introduce the concept of Meaningful Human Control (MHC) as a function of a framework of the Automated Driving System (ADS). This framework is ...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Method: The aim of the study was to undertake a systematic review of the literature to identify the factors associated with work-related driving incidents. The ...
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
In adaptable automation, human operators can decide when to delegate which tasks and to what extent between themselves and the system (Calhoun, 2022). This term ...
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV1V4W723V6AQ5Y7JZZ3628E
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVCF6HT8S71XAR7EBYMT8K2H
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV3GETNJ8XHZD6B9GS95G5WQ
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I need to gather more specific information about system thinking principles applied to driving automation systems with a focus on human operators. Let me search for more targeted literature.

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sociotechnical systems approach driving automation human factors
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
Humans, their performance, actions and decisions play a significant role in a vast range of operations in complex sociotechnical systems.
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
This text examines the key role that human fac- tors plays in driving forward future vehicle automation in a way that realizes the benets while avoiding the ...
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
His research interests include human factors, human performance, human reliability analysis and safety of complex socio-technical systems, such as the energy ...
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
This qualitative, exploratory case study investigates the relationship between HF and AV development. The study reveals relevant properties of agile system ...
openaccess.cms-conferences.org
This paper explores the human factors of remote operations of road vehicles from a socio-technical systems perspective.
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
... driving performance: Implications for driver distraction. Human Factors: The Journal of the. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 47(2), 439 ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The paper presents a framework to realise “meaningful human control” over Automated Driving Systems.
research.rug.nl
The challenges include the synergy between the humans and automa- tion, potential changes in driving behaviour due to automation and the type of ...
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV2AF0F7S39CXN9B7TYMM3KC
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV3F5SEDJMDWYQ987W646G8S
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVCF6NZGC4VDBKHS7B22GZY3
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Information Already Gathered

  1. Initial web searches have confirmed a significant body of research linking system thinking principles with driving automation systems, particularly concerning the human operator. Key concepts identified include the application of socio-technical systems theory, human-centered design principles, and specific analytical frameworks such as STPA (Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis) and AcciMap.
  2. The literature covers a broad range of human factors across various automation levels (SAE 1-5). This includes critical aspects like situation awareness, trust in automation, cognitive workload, mode confusion, skill degradation, and the complexities of control transitions (handover/takeover).
  3. The concept of "Meaningful Human Control" (MHC) has emerged as a significant theme, emphasizing the need for system designs that ensure the human operator remains an effective and informed agent within the driving system.
  4. Research also draws on lessons learned from automation in other transportation domains (e.g., aviation, maritime, rail) to inform the design and implementation of driving automation.
  5. Several systematic reviews and perspective papers on human factors in driving automation are available, which can serve as foundational resources.

Next Steps Action Plan

  1. Conduct a focused review of academic databases (e.g., IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, TRID) and institutional repositories for peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, and technical reports published between 2005 and 2025. The search will target literature explicitly discussing the application of system thinking, socio-technical systems, or related holistic approaches to the design and evaluation of driving automation, with an emphasis on human operator interaction.
  2. Extract and synthesize information detailing how specific system thinking principles (e.g., understanding interconnectedness, feedback loops, emergence, boundaries, holistic perspective) have been applied to address human operator issues across all levels of driving automation. This will involve identifying studies that analyze impacts on mental models, situation awareness, trust calibration, workload management, mode awareness, and skill retention.
  3. Investigate and document design methodologies, testing protocols, and validation strategies for automated driving systems that are explicitly rooted in system thinking. Particular attention will be paid to how these approaches facilitate safer and more effective human-automation interaction, especially during transitions of control and in response to system failures or unexpected events.
  4. Analyze literature on safety assessment frameworks and accident analysis models (e.g., STAMP, AcciMap) that utilize a system thinking perspective to understand the role of the human operator within the broader automated driving system, including organizational and environmental factors.
  5. Organize the synthesized findings according to the established literature review structure (Introduction, Theoretical Frameworks, Human Operator Aspects Across Automation Levels, Transition of Control, System Thinking Applications in Practice), ensuring a coherent narrative that highlights the evolution, benefits, and challenges of applying system thinking to human-operator considerations in driving automation.

Let me start by examining a key paper on human factors in driving automation to understand the theoretical frameworks being applied.

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Let me search for more information about system thinking principles specifically applied to automated driving systems.

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systems thinking principles automated driving human factors SAE levels
sae.org
SAE J3016 defines the SAE Levels from Level 0 (no driving automation) to Level 5 (full driving automation) in the context of motor vehicles and their operation ...
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
A human factors challenge at this level is to keep the fallback-ready user aware of the driving situation.
nhtsa.gov
nhtsa.gov
The SAE definition states that L2 automated driving systems can release control with little or no advance warning. At higher levels of automation, the vehicle ...
users.ece.cmu.edu
users.ece.cmu.edu
Automated Driving System (ADS): Hardware and software that drives the vehicle (applicable only to levels 3, 4, 5). Example: The "software driver" (and its ...
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
The aim of this paper was to analyse accidents involving automated technologies across the transport modes to identify learning opportunities.
nhtsa.gov
nhtsa.gov
This report describes a framework for establishing sample preliminary tests for Automated Driving Systems. The focus is on light duty vehicles exhibiting higher ...
hfes.org
The purpose is to establish human factors design criteria that assess automated driving system performance with consideration of human capabilities and ...
osf.io
The SAE J3016 is a globally recognized classification system that defines the levels of driving automation for vehicles on public roadways. As mentioned ...
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV28GFZSVS4APS368GT11K70
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV1PGSEJZS4R5BZAQ71SYTGM
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVCF6HT8S71XAR7EBYMT8K2H
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Let me access a key paper on human factors in automated driving systems to understand the application of systems thinking principles.

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I need to access more specific content about systems thinking principles applied to automated driving systems. Let me try a different approach by searching for a specific paper.

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STAMP STPA systems theoretic process analysis automated driving human factors
dspace.mit.edu
dspace.mit.edu
This method, called STPA-Engineering for Humans, provides guidance for identifying causal scenarios related to interactions between humans and automation.
ul.com
We will provide a brief introduction to STAMP and its related processes, Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) and Causal Analysis Using System Theory ( ...
evu-online.org
STAMP integrates into engineering safety analysis causal factors such as software, human factors, new technologies, social and organization structures, and ...
ll.mit.edu
ll.mit.edu
Identification of causal factors related to human interaction with IM-S automation provides an example of the human factors capability of STPA; however, the ...
youtube.com
youtube.com
VFS and the E-VTOL Flight Test Council hosted a short webinar introducing STPA (System-Theoretic Process Analysis) to flight testers.
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
This paper reports a comparison case study of the application of a novel System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA)-based methodology against the traditional ...
rosap.ntl.bts.gov
rosap.ntl.bts.gov
SME participants found that STPA provides a stronger way to integrate human factors into an overall safety assessment beyond what is done today.
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
The goal of this work is to propose a new method for examining the role of humans in complex automated systems using STPA. This method, called STPA-Engineering ...
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVBN8XHWBH6M4GHH6XVVK7VW
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV4ZPFZQD69SK1DFNVRYBY9C
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV2AF0F7S39CXN9B7TYMM3KC
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Information Already Gathered

  1. Initial research confirms a strong link between system thinking principles and the human operator in driving automation systems. Key concepts identified include socio-technical systems theory, human-centered design, and the importance of "Meaningful Human Control" (MHC), which emphasizes trackability and traceability within a framework considering driver, vehicle, infrastructure, and environment.
  2. Human factors challenges, such as maintaining situation awareness (especially for SAE Level 3 automation), managing trust, workload, and ensuring effective transitions of control, are critical across all SAE levels of automation.
  3. Specific system thinking methodologies like STAMP (System-Theoretic Accident Model and Process) and STPA (Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis), including extensions like "STPA-Engineering for Humans," have been identified as relevant for analyzing safety and human-automation interaction in these complex systems. These methods help in identifying causal factors related to human interaction.
  4. Learning from automation in other transport sectors is considered valuable for automated vehicle design.

Next Steps Action Plan

  1. Conduct in-depth investigations into how specific system thinking methodologies, particularly STAMP, STPA, and related approaches (e.g., CAST), are applied to analyze and enhance human-operator interactions in automated driving systems. Focus on identifying studies that detail the process of identifying causal factors for human-related issues. This information can likely be found in academic databases (e.g., IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, ACM Digital Library), research institution repositories (e.g., MIT DSpace), and publications from transportation safety organizations.
  2. Gather specific case studies, empirical research, and application examples that illustrate how system thinking principles have been used to address human operator aspects such as situation awareness, trust calibration, cognitive workload, mode confusion, skill degradation, and handover/takeover procedures across the spectrum of SAE automation levels (0-5). Look for these in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and technical reports.
  3. Synthesize findings on design recommendations, human-machine interface (HMI) design guidelines, and safety assessment frameworks for automated driving systems that are explicitly derived from a system thinking perspective, ensuring they address the role and performance of the human operator. Authoritative sources would include publications from automotive engineering societies (e.g., SAE International) and governmental transportation research bodies.

Let me access a key paper on STPA application to automated driving systems to understand how this systems thinking approach addresses human factors.

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Let me search for more specific information about system thinking principles applied to human factors in automated driving systems.

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systems thinking principles human factors automated driving review mental models situation awareness trust workload
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
We conclude that SA, mental workload, and trust are viable constructs that are valuable in understanding and predicting human-system performance in complex ...
edm.sagepub.com
edm.sagepub.com
Abstract. Cognitive engineering needs viable constructs and principles to promote better understanding and prediction of human performance in complex systems.
medium.com
medium.com
Situational Awareness (SA) represents a cornerstone concept within human factors, cognitive psychology, and related disciplines, ...
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
This qualitative, exploratory case study investigates the relationship between HF and AV development. The study reveals relevant properties of agile system ...
apps.dtic.mil
However, these systems are, of necessity, complex and are developed in adherence with the systems engineering principles. Systems engineering follows a ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
In this review, we investigate the relationship between agent transparency, Situation Awareness, mental workload, and operator performance for safety critical ...
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
In an attempt to predict and prevent accident situations in complex socio-technical systems, one needs to be able to model and simulate concepts ...
mdpi.com
mdpi.com
During the last decade, research has brought forth a large amount of studies that investigated driving automation from a human factor perspective.
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVCFCC22698G4AT0F8STQZ9J
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVBN8XHWBH6M4GHH6XVVK7VW
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Let me access a comprehensive review on human factors in automated driving systems to understand how system thinking principles are applied.

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Let me search for more specific information about systems thinking principles applied to human factors in automated driving.

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sociotechnical systems approach automated driving human factors literature review

Information Already Gathered

  1. System thinking principles, including socio-technical systems theory and human-centered design, are recognized as crucial for understanding the human operator's role in driving automation systems. The concept of "Meaningful Human Control" (MHC), emphasizing trackability and traceability, has emerged as a key framework.
  2. Critical human factors challenges across all SAE automation levels include maintaining situation awareness, managing trust and cognitive workload, preventing mode confusion, addressing skill degradation, and ensuring effective transitions of control.
  3. Specific system thinking methodologies like STAMP (System-Theoretic Accident Model and Process) and STPA (Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis), along with its extensions such as "STPA-Engineering for Humans," are applied for safety analysis and to understand human-automation interaction. These methods are particularly useful for identifying causal factors in human-related safety issues, such as mode confusion in cooperative driving scenarios.
  4. Research in automated driving investigates various human-centric constructs like safety, trust, acceptance, take-over request performance, usability, and user experience, employing diverse study methodologies.

Next Steps Action Plan

  1. Undertake further focused information retrieval to identify academic literature and authoritative reports that explicitly detail the application of broad system thinking principles (e.g., interconnectedness, feedback, emergence, socio-technical perspectives) to specific human operator aspects in automated driving. This includes impacts on mental models, situation awareness, trust calibration, workload management, mode awareness, and skill retention across all SAE automation levels (0-5). Prioritize sources from academic databases like IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, ACM Digital Library, SpringerLink, and TRID, as well as research institution repositories.
  2. Continue to gather detailed case studies, empirical research, and practical application examples that demonstrate how system thinking methodologies (such as STAMP, STPA, AcciMap) are utilized to analyze, design for, and mitigate challenges related to the human operator in automated driving systems. Focus on how these approaches inform the understanding of human performance during complex scenarios, including transitions of control and responses to system anomalies.
  3. Synthesize the collected information to identify established design recommendations, human-machine interface (HMI) guidelines, and safety assessment frameworks for automated driving systems that are demonstrably rooted in a system thinking perspective concerning the human operator. Seek out publications from automotive engineering societies (e.g., SAE International) and governmental transportation research bodies for authoritative guidance in this area.

Let me try to access another key paper on sociotechnical systems in automated driving.

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sociotechnical systems approach automated driving human factors literature review
mdpi.com
mdpi.com
During the last decade, research has brought forth a large amount of studies that investigated driving automation from a human factor perspective.
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
This systematic literature review inquires into the role of socio-technical experiments for autonomous driving and their potential to shape mobility transitions ...
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
His research interests include human factors, human performance, human reliability analysis and safety of complex socio-technical systems, such as the energy ...
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
This study is a systematic literature review of how the term sociotechnical system is used in systems engineering literature.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The paper presents a framework to realise “meaningful human control” over Automated Driving Systems.
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
This review aims to provide an overview of the range anxiety phenomenon, identifying its primary influencing variables and strategies for mitigating it.
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
PDF | On Nov 14, 2018, Katie J. Parnell and others published Driver Distraction: A Sociotechnical Systems Approach | Find, read and cite all ...
journals.sagepub.com
journals.sagepub.com
The goal of this paper is to outline human-factors issues associated with automated driving, with a focus on car following.
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVCF6NZGC4VDBKHS7B22GZY3
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV5N0FTT5DR6MAGBR5GKP2FJ
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV1VDEP8J5G46KGPETVSJAMK
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Let me access a paper on sociotechnical systems approach to driver distraction, which may provide insights on how systems thinking principles are applied to human factors in automated driving.

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Let me try to access another key paper on meaningful human control in automated driving systems, which applies systems thinking principles to human factors.

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Let me access a paper on meaningful human control in automated driving systems to understand how systems thinking principles are applied to human factors.

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Information Already Gathered

  1. The application of system thinking principles, including socio-technical systems theory and human-centered design, to the human operator in driving automation systems is a well-established research domain.
  2. Key conceptual frameworks like Meaningful Human Control (MHC) have been identified. MHC emphasizes trackability of human reasoning and traceability of control within the broader driver-vehicle-infrastructure-environment system.
  3. Specific system thinking methodologies such as STAMP (System-Theoretic Accident Model and Process) and STPA (Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis), including human-focused extensions, are utilized for safety analysis. These methods help in understanding complex human-automation interactions, including issues like mode confusion and control transitions.
  4. Critical human factors across all SAE automation levels (0-5) consistently include situation awareness, the development of accurate mental models, calibration of trust in automation, management of cognitive workload, ensuring clear mode awareness, addressing potential skill degradation, and managing the complexities of handover/takeover processes.
  5. Current research investigates these human factors through diverse methodologies, with ongoing discussions regarding the need for methodological standardization.

Next Steps Action Plan

  1. Continue systematic information retrieval from academic databases (such as IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, ACM Digital Library, SpringerLink, TRID) and institutional repositories. The focus should be on how core system thinking concepts (e.g., interconnectedness, feedback, emergence, socio-technical perspectives) are explicitly applied to understand and design for key human operator aspects (mental models, situation awareness, trust, workload, mode awareness, skill retention) across the full range of SAE automation levels.
  2. Gather and critically analyze detailed case studies, empirical research findings, and practical application examples. These should illustrate how system thinking methodologies (e.g., STAMP, STPA, AcciMap) are employed to analyze, design for, and mitigate challenges related to human-automation interaction in driving, particularly concerning transitions of control, responses to system anomalies, and overall safety.
  3. Synthesize the collected evidence to identify and articulate established design recommendations, human-machine interface (HMI) guidelines, driver training considerations, and safety assessment frameworks for automated driving systems that are demonstrably rooted in a system thinking perspective on the human operator. Prioritize information from publications by automotive engineering societies (e.g., SAE International) and governmental transportation research bodies.
  4. Organize and integrate the synthesized findings into the previously established literature review structure (1. Introduction; 2. Theoretical Frameworks; 3. Human Operator Aspects Across Automation Levels; 4. Transition of Control; 5. System Thinking Applications in Practice). This involves ensuring a coherent narrative, critically evaluating the reviewed literature, and identifying current research gaps and potential future research directions.

Let me search for more information on mental models and situation awareness in automated driving systems.

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mental models situation awareness automated driving systems thinking
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
Previous research shows that drivers of automated vehicles are likely to engage in visually demanding tasks, causing impaired situation awareness.
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
A mental model can be defined as a knowledge structure in long-term memory that includes the user's understanding of the automated driving ...
frontiersin.org
frontiersin.org
A comprehensive inventory of the mental models that underpin the construction of driving SA from video feeds is thus a clear research priority ...
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
Objective Situation awareness (SA) refers to people's perception and understanding of their dynamic environment. In primary care, reduced SA ...
arxiv.org
arxiv.org
Results show that situational awareness both promoted and moderated the impact of trust in the automated vehicle, leading to better secondary ...
journals.sagepub.com
journals.sagepub.com
The study identified the driving context, encompassing both situational factors, such as road types, traffic conditions, weather, and time of ...
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
Distraction during autonomous driving impairs the mental model of the situation. •. Building good situational awareness requires monitoring the road well ...
mdpi.com
mdpi.com
A cognitive model is developed that simulates a spectrum of cognitive processing and the development of situation awareness and attention guidance in different ...
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01J7E9YA8AD76D5AP3RKNDWDP3
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVCF6HT8S71XAR7EBYMT8K2H
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVCFCC22698G4AT0F8STQZ9J
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Let me access an article about situation awareness and mental models in automated driving to understand how systems thinking principles are applied.

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Let me try to access a paper on situation awareness in automated driving systems to understand how systems thinking principles are applied.

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Let me search for information about STAMP and STPA applications to automated driving systems to understand how these systems thinking methodologies are applied to human factors.

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STAMP STPA systems thinking principles automated driving human factors applications
dspace.mit.edu
dspace.mit.edu
This method, called STPA-Engineering for Humans, provides guidance for identifying causal scenarios related to interactions between humans and automation.
ul.com
We will provide a brief introduction to STAMP and its related processes, Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) and Causal Analysis Using System Theory ( ...
evu-online.org
STAMP integrates into engineering safety analysis causal factors such as software, human factors, new technologies, social and organization structures, and ...
sunnyday.mit.edu
sunnyday.mit.edu
This method, called STPA-Engineering for Humans, provides guidance for identifying causal scenarios related to interactions between humans and automation and ...
diva-portal.org
diva-portal.org
The STPA method is a top-down approach based on an accident causality model called. Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Process (STAMP).
youtube.com
youtube.com
VFS and the E-VTOL Flight Test Council hosted a short webinar introducing STPA (System-Theoretic Process Analysis) to flight testers.
sciencedirect.com
sciencedirect.com
STPA is a proactive analysis method that analyses the potential cause of accidents during development to eliminate or control hazards. The steps in STPA are: (1) ...
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
STPA (Systems-Theoretic Processes Analysis) is a safety analysis approach designed for evaluating the safety of complex systems. STPA has not been used, however ...
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV22BTF8SJH65YS2FRN0X3D2
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JVBN8XHWBH6M4GHH6XVVK7VW
https://static-favicon.basemind.com/01JV2AF0F7S39CXN9B7TYMM3KC
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Information Already Gathered

  1. The application of system thinking principles, including socio-technical systems theory and human-centered design, is crucial for understanding the human operator's role in driving automation systems. Key conceptual frameworks like "Meaningful Human Control" (MHC) have been identified, emphasizing trackability of human reasoning and traceability of control within the broader driver-vehicle-infrastructure-environment system.
  2. Specific system thinking methodologies such as STAMP (System-Theoretic Accident Model and Process) and STPA (Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis), along with human-focused extensions like "STPA-Engineering for Humans," are utilized for safety analysis. These methods help in understanding complex human-automation interactions, including issues like mode confusion, the role of human behavior in system safety, and control transitions.
  3. Critical human factors consistently identified across all SAE automation levels (0-5) include situation awareness, the development of accurate mental models, calibration of trust in automation, management of cognitive workload, ensuring clear mode awareness, addressing potential skill degradation, and managing the complexities of handover/takeover processes.
  4. Research indicates that remote operation of autonomous vehicles introduces unique situation awareness challenges for human operators, requiring them to build mental models of remote environments through limited sensory input (e.g., video feeds). The acquisition of situation awareness in such contexts appears to be a flexible process combining comprehension and prediction.

Next Steps Action Plan

  1. Conduct in-depth analysis of the identified academic papers and technical reports, particularly those detailing the application of STAMP, STPA (including "STPA-Engineering for Humans"), and other socio-technical approaches to automated driving systems. Focus on extracting specific examples and case studies that illustrate how these methodologies are used to analyze and improve human-operator interactions, covering aspects like mental models, situation awareness, trust, workload, and control transitions across various SAE levels. Key sources for this include institutional repositories like MIT DSpace, and publications from transportation research organizations.
  2. Synthesize the findings on specific methodologies (like STPA) with broader system thinking concepts (like MHC and socio-technical systems theory) to build a comprehensive understanding of how these principles inform the design and evaluation of human-automation interaction in driving. Explore how hazard analysis techniques operationalize these broader principles.
  3. Continue to gather and analyze literature that translates system thinking insights into practical design recommendations for automated driving systems. This includes guidelines for human-machine interfaces (HMIs), driver training protocols, and operational procedures that support effective and safe human operator performance. Prioritize information from peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and reports from automotive engineering societies and transportation safety bodies.
  4. Begin structuring the literature review by organizing the synthesized information. Integrate the various research threads (MHC, STAMP/STPA applications, human factors like SA, mental models, trust, workload, and control transitions) into a coherent narrative that clearly demonstrates how system thinking principles are applied to the human operator in driving automation, addressing all specified automation levels and human operator aspects.

Information Already Gathered

  1. The application of system thinking principles, including socio-technical systems theory and human-centered design, is crucial for understanding the human operator's role in driving automation. Key conceptual frameworks like Meaningful Human Control (MHC) have been identified, emphasizing trackability of human reasoning and traceability of control within the broader driver-vehicle-infrastructure-environment system.
  2. Specific system thinking methodologies such as STAMP (System-Theoretic Accident Model and Process) and STPA (Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis), along with human-focused extensions like "STPA-Engineering for Humans," are utilized for safety analysis. These methods help in understanding complex human-automation interactions, including issues like mode confusion (as seen in cooperative driving scenarios) and identifying causal scenarios related to human-automation interactions.
  3. Critical human factors across all SAE automation levels (0-5) consistently include situation awareness (especially for remote operators and during visual engagement with non-driving tasks), the development of accurate mental models, calibration of trust in automation, management of cognitive workload, ensuring clear mode awareness, addressing potential skill degradation, and managing the complexities of handover/takeover processes.
  4. Research indicates that acquiring situation awareness in remote operation is a flexible process combining comprehension and prediction. Existing SA theories may need adaptation for remote driving contexts.

Next Steps Action Plan

  1. Continue to systematically retrieve and synthesize information from academic databases (e.g., IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, ACM Digital Library, SpringerLink, TRID) and institutional repositories (like MIT DSpace). The focus will be on how core system thinking concepts (e.g., interconnectedness, feedback loops, emergence, socio-technical perspectives) are explicitly applied to analyze and design for key human operator aspects (mental models, situation awareness, trust, workload, mode awareness, skill retention) across all SAE automation levels.
  2. Gather more detailed case studies, empirical research findings, and practical application examples that illustrate how system thinking methodologies (e.g., STAMP, STPA, AcciMap, STPA-Engineering for Humans) are employed to analyze, design for, and mitigate challenges related to human-automation interaction in driving. Particular attention will be paid to transitions of control, responses to system anomalies, and overall safety, drawing from sources like research institution publications and conference proceedings.
  3. Synthesize the collected evidence to identify and articulate established design recommendations, human-machine interface (HMI) guidelines, driver training considerations, and safety assessment frameworks for automated driving systems that are demonstrably rooted in a system thinking perspective concerning the human operator. Prioritize information from publications by automotive engineering societies (e.g., SAE International) and governmental transportation research bodies.
  4. Organize and integrate the synthesized findings into the previously established literature review structure: Introduction, Theoretical Frameworks, Human Operator Aspects Across Automation Levels, Transition of Control, and System Thinking Applications in Practice. This will involve critically evaluating the reviewed literature to ensure a coherent narrative and to identify current research gaps and potential future research directions.

Let me access the MIT thesis on STPA-Engineering for Humans to understand how this systems thinking approach is applied to human factors in automated driving.

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STPA-Engineering for Humans automated driving systems France Megan MIT thesis
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In this thesis, the Engineering for Humans method is applied to a case study of an automated driving system called Automated Parking Assist.
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France, Megan Elizabeth ... The goal of this work is to propose a new method for examining the role of humans in complex automated systems using STPA.
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Abstract. Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) is a new hazard analysis method developed at MIT to address a broad range of accident causal factors ...
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The goal of this work is to propose a new method for examining the role of humans in complex automated systems using STPA. This method, called STPA-Engineering ...
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STPA is a valuable hazard analysis technique with applicability across domains, and the new Engineering for Humans extension proposed in this paper provides ...
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Megan France. AUTOMATED PARKING ASSIST. ENGINEERING FOR HUMANS - MIT STAMP WORKSHOP 2016. 97. Page 30. NEW PROCESS. ▫ Identify UCAs. ▫ Identify Mental Model ...
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... humans in complex automated systems using STPA. This method, called STPA-Engineering for Humans, provides guidance for identifying causal scenarios related ...
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In conclusion, the thesis shows that in the absence of high statistical data, STPA can be applied as a frame- work for analyzing traffic system safety with the ...
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Let me access the MIT thesis on STPA-Engineering for Humans to understand how this systems thinking approach is applied to human factors in automated driving.

Literature Review: System Thinking Principles Applied to Driving Automation Systems with Focus on Human Operators

1. Introduction

The rapid advancement of driving automation technologies has transformed the relationship between human drivers and vehicles. As automation levels increase from driver assistance (SAE Level 1) to full automation (SAE Level 5), the role of the human operator evolves dramatically, creating new challenges for system design, safety analysis, and human-machine interaction. System thinking principles—which emphasize holistic analysis, interconnections between components, feedback loops, and emergent properties—have proven valuable in addressing these challenges.

This literature review examines how system thinking principles have been applied to driving automation systems over the past two decades, with a specific focus on the human operator. The review covers theoretical frameworks, human operator aspects across automation levels, transition of control issues, and practical applications of system thinking in automated driving.

2. Theoretical Frameworks

2.1 Socio-Technical Systems Approach

The socio-technical systems approach recognizes that automated driving systems exist within a complex network of technical, human, organizational, and environmental factors. This perspective has been increasingly adopted to understand the multifaceted challenges of driving automation.

Researchers have emphasized that driving automation should not be viewed merely as a technical challenge but as a socio-technical system where human operators remain critical elements even at higher levels of automation. Rather than eliminating human involvement, automation redistributes and transforms human responsibilities pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. This transformation requires careful consideration of how humans interact with, understand, and trust automated systems.

The socio-technical approach has been particularly valuable in analyzing driver distraction in automated vehicles. Parnell et al. developed a framework that considers not only the immediate human-vehicle interaction but also broader social, organizational, and regulatory factors that influence driver behavior researchgate.net. This approach helps identify intervention strategies at multiple levels of the system rather than focusing solely on driver behavior.

2.2 Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Process (STAMP)

STAMP represents a significant advancement in system safety analysis, moving beyond traditional chain-of-events models to a control-theoretic approach. Developed by Nancy Leveson at MIT, STAMP integrates software, human factors, new technologies, social and organizational structures, and safety culture into engineering safety analysis evu-online.org.

STAMP views safety as a control problem rather than a failure problem. Accidents occur when component failures, external disturbances, or dysfunctional interactions among system components are not adequately handled by the control system. This perspective is particularly relevant for automated driving systems, where safety depends on complex interactions between human operators, vehicle automation, other road users, and infrastructure.

Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), the hazard analysis technique based on STAMP, has been applied to automated driving systems to identify potential hazards and safety constraints. STPA is especially valuable for analyzing human-automation interaction because it considers how system conditions may influence human behavior and lead to unsafe actions sunnyday.mit.edu.

2.3 Meaningful Human Control Framework

The concept of Meaningful Human Control (MHC) has emerged as a critical framework for ensuring that humans maintain appropriate control over automated systems. This framework addresses the ethical challenge of maintaining human control and responsibility as vehicles become increasingly autonomous .

MHC is defined through two key conditions:

  1. Tracking condition: The automated driving system behaves according to the relevant reasons of human actors
  2. Tracing condition: Any potentially dangerous event can be traced back to human actors tandfonline.com

This framework provides a structured approach for analyzing the core components of automated driving systems across four categories: Driver, Vehicle, Infrastructure, and Environment. The Driver components include traits (personality, physical attributes), state (fatigue, stress), perception (visual, auditory, tactile), cognition (information analysis, decision-making), and action skills . This comprehensive view helps identify how system design influences human control and responsibility.

3. Human Operator Aspects Across Automation Levels

3.1 Mental Models and Situation Awareness

Mental models—the cognitive representations that humans form about how systems work—are crucial for effective interaction with automated driving systems. Research has shown that drivers often develop incomplete or incorrect mental models of automation capabilities, leading to misuse, disuse, or abuse of these systems.

Situation awareness (SA), defined as the perception of elements in the environment, comprehension of their meaning, and projection of their status in the near future, is a critical construct in understanding human-automation interaction. Parasuraman, Sheridan, and Wickens have established SA as a viable and empirically supported cognitive engineering construct that is valuable for understanding and predicting human-system performance in complex systems researchgate.net.

Studies have demonstrated that drivers of automated vehicles are likely to engage in visually demanding non-driving tasks, causing impaired situation awareness sciencedirect.com. This is particularly problematic during transitions of control, when drivers must rapidly regain situation awareness to safely resume manual control.

Research on remote operators of autonomous vehicles has challenged traditional hierarchical models of situation awareness, suggesting that acquiring SA in remote scenes is a flexible process combining comprehension and prediction simultaneously rather than sequentially frontiersin.org. This finding has implications for the design of remote operation interfaces and training programs.

3.2 Trust and Reliance on Automation

Trust in automation is a key factor influencing how humans interact with automated driving systems. Overtrust can lead to complacency and inappropriate reliance on automation, while undertrust can result in disuse of potentially beneficial systems.

Research has shown that situational awareness both promotes and moderates the impact of trust in automated vehicles . Drivers with higher situation awareness are better able to calibrate their trust to the actual capabilities and limitations of the automation.

System thinking approaches have been applied to understand trust calibration as a dynamic process influenced by multiple factors, including system transparency, reliability, predictability, and the driver's individual differences. This perspective has led to design recommendations for automated driving systems that support appropriate trust development and maintenance.

3.3 Workload and Cognitive Demands

Automation can both reduce and increase cognitive workload, depending on the implementation and context. While automation may relieve drivers of certain operational tasks, it can introduce new monitoring demands and increase cognitive complexity.

Mental workload has been established as a critical construct in cognitive engineering, with significant implications for human-automation interaction . Research has examined how different levels of driving automation affect mental workload and how these effects vary across driving contexts and individual differences.

System thinking approaches have been valuable in understanding workload as an emergent property of the human-automation system rather than a simple function of task demands. This perspective has informed the development of adaptive automation systems that adjust their behavior based on the driver's current workload state.

3.4 Mode Confusion and Automation Surprises

Mode confusion—uncertainty about the current state of automation—is a significant safety concern in automated driving systems. System thinking principles have been applied to understand mode confusion as arising from mismatches between the driver's mental model and the actual system state.

STPA-inspired safety analysis has been used to identify potential causes of mode confusion in cooperative driving automation. Research has shown that accidental or faulty inputs from the driver pose the greatest threat for mode confusion—situations where either both the vehicle and driver believe they are in control, or neither believes they are responsible for controlling the vehicle .

The socio-technical systems approach has led to design recommendations for clear mode indication and transition protocols that consider not only the interface design but also training, organizational policies, and regulatory frameworks.

4. Transition of Control

4.1 Handover/Takeover Processes

The transition of control between automation and human operators is one of the most critical safety challenges in partially automated driving systems (SAE Levels 2-3). System thinking principles have been applied to understand these transitions as complex processes involving multiple interacting factors rather than simple handoffs.

Research has shown that the quality of takeover performance depends on various factors, including the available time budget, the driver's current state and engagement in non-driving tasks, the complexity of the traffic situation, and the design of the takeover request interface. A systems approach considers how these factors interact and influence each other.

STPA has been applied to analyze potential hazards during transitions of control and develop safety constraints. This approach has led to the identification of specific requirements for safe transitions, including appropriate timing of takeover requests, clear communication of automation status, and support for situation awareness recovery .

4.2 Driver Readiness and Response Time Factors

Driver readiness to resume control is influenced by multiple factors, including situation awareness, cognitive workload, trust in automation, and engagement in non-driving activities. System thinking approaches have examined how these factors interact and evolve over time.

Research has shown that drivers engaged in non-driving tasks experience significant delays in regaining situation awareness during takeover requests. This has led to recommendations for monitoring systems that assess driver readiness and adapt takeover procedures accordingly.

The concept of "fallback readiness" has emerged as a critical consideration for SAE Level 3 automation, where drivers are expected to respond to takeover requests within a reasonable time frame. Human factors experts have recommended that the fallback-ready user should remain in a motoric and sensory state similar to that of a normal driver to allow for safe transitions researchgate.net.

4.3 Interface Design for Effective Transitions

Interface design plays a crucial role in supporting effective transitions of control. System thinking principles have informed the development of multimodal interfaces that provide clear information about automation status, upcoming transitions, and relevant environmental factors.

Research has explored various approaches to interface design, including visual, auditory, and haptic feedback mechanisms. The effectiveness of these approaches depends on the specific context, driver state, and automation level.

STPA-Engineering for Humans has been applied to analyze and compare different interface designs for automated parking assist systems. This approach helps identify potential issues with human-automation interaction and develop design recommendations that support safe and effective transitions .

5. System Thinking Applications in Practice

5.1 STPA-Engineering for Humans

STPA-Engineering for Humans is an extension of STPA specifically designed to analyze human-automation interaction. Developed by Megan France at MIT, this method provides guidance for identifying causal scenarios related to interactions between humans and automation and understanding why unsafe behaviors may appear appropriate in the operational context .

The method has been applied to automated parking assist systems at different levels of automation. It helps identify how system design influences driver behavior and how multiple system designs would affect safety with respect to human-automation interaction.

STPA-Engineering for Humans integrates human factors expertise with systems engineering, providing a framework for dialogue between human factors experts and other engineers. This interdisciplinary approach is essential for addressing the complex challenges of automated driving systems.

5.2 Learning from Other Transport Domains

System thinking approaches have facilitated learning across transport domains, applying insights from aviation, maritime, and rail automation to road transport. Research has compared accidents involving automated technologies across these domains to identify learning opportunities for automated vehicle design sciencedirect.com.

This cross-domain analysis has revealed similarities and differences in contributory factors to automation-related accidents. Key leverage points identified include improved human factors integration into automation design across all modes and reconsideration of regulatory approaches to ensure they are appropriate for emerging technologies .

5.3 Safety Assessment Frameworks

System thinking principles have informed the development of comprehensive safety assessment frameworks for automated driving systems. These frameworks consider not only technical reliability but also human factors, organizational aspects, and societal impacts.

STAMP and STPA have been applied to analyze the safety of automated driving systems at both the vehicle level and the broader traffic system level. This approach helps identify potential hazards and develop safety constraints that address the complex interactions between humans, vehicles, infrastructure, and the environment .

The AcciMap technique, another systems-based approach, has been used to analyze accidents involving automated technologies across transport modes. This technique helps identify contributory factors at multiple levels of the socio-technical system, from equipment and environment to organizational and regulatory factors .

6. Conclusion

System thinking principles have made significant contributions to our understanding of human operators in driving automation systems. By emphasizing holistic analysis, interconnections, feedback loops, and emergent properties, these principles have helped address the complex challenges of human-automation interaction across all levels of driving automation.

Key frameworks such as the socio-technical systems approach, STAMP/STPA, and Meaningful Human Control have provided structured methods for analyzing and designing automated driving systems with a focus on the human operator. These frameworks have been applied to address critical aspects of human-automation interaction, including mental models and situation awareness, trust and reliance, workload and cognitive demands, mode confusion, and transitions of control.

As driving automation continues to advance, system thinking principles will remain essential for ensuring that these systems are designed to work effectively with human operators, supporting safe, efficient, and enjoyable mobility. Future research should continue to develop and refine system thinking approaches to address emerging challenges in human-automation interaction, particularly as we move toward higher levels of automation and more complex operational environments.

Key references