The Problem of Anomalous Behavior Rethinking Instruction as Hierarchical Procedure

THE PROBLEM OF ANOMALOUS BEHAVIOR RETHINKING INSTRUCTION AS HIERARCHICAL PROCEDURE 

In these environments, human error frequently results from exhaustion and workload. When employees are overloaded beyond their capacity, they make errors in judgment. But the converse is also true. When individuals are 

Souder (1988) cites examples of behavioral accidents in which normally safety-conscious employees acted irrationally. He notes that many individuals who engage in anomalous behaviors are frequently experienced and well-trained personnel. These examples seem irrational because the behaviors seem so deliberately to violate the assumptions that govern ordinary instruction and safe practice  

Three experienced divers and lifesaving instructors ignored normal safety procedures to go on a night dive, incompletely equipped, in an unexplored underwater cave. All three drowned. 

An experienced 45-year old supervisor assisting a work crew suddenly turned and walked into the path of the crew s bulldozer and was crushed before anyone could stop him. 

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