Dissertation
Engineering Accident Analysis Through Memetic Decision Tree Mapping
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005117
Abstract
This work reports the creation of a new causal analysis tool for investigating human factors. The evaluation process maps the human aspect of engineering decisions against a model of human cognition. This is accomplished through a novel investigatory tool called a Memetic Decision Tree, which maps specific, externally identifiable human factors with their most likely internal cognitive value state. By comparing the cognitive value states used to construct hundreds of engineering decisions, underlying patterns of thought can be identified in the decisions preceding engineering disasters. Four case studies were evaluated with this tool: the twin Space Shuttle disasters of Challenger and Columbia, US Airways FT 1549 emergency landing, and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. This tool enabled identification of cognitive trends underpinning decisions for each case study, individually as well as collectively. These trends suggest a previously uninvestigated link between complexity of group thinking and the ability to identify the critical aspects of a developing crisis.
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Details
- Title
- Engineering Accident Analysis Through Memetic Decision Tree Mapping
- Creators
- David Alexander Koch
- Contributors
- Charles Pezeshki (Advisor)John McCloy (Committee Member)Colin C Merriman (Committee Member)Donald R Todd (Committee Member)Michael C Richey (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 311
- Identifiers
- 99901019836901842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation