What We Do
Human Performance Research, led by Richard A. Schmidt, Ph.D., provides research and consulting services focused on human capabilities and limitations in skilled performance. The work spans everyday activities — typing, driving, operating equipment, and participating in sports — examining how people learn, execute, and sometimes err in these tasks.
By integrating principles of human performance with engineering design, the company helps organizations understand how system design, training, and environmental factors shape human behavior. This perspective is applied to accident analysis, system-failure investigations, and the development of safer, more effective human–machine interfaces.
Areas of Expertise
Human Factors
Applying scientific knowledge of human perception, cognition, and motor control to the design of equipment, workplaces, and procedures.
Ergonomics
Evaluating the fit between people and the tools, tasks, and environments they encounter to reduce error and improve performance.
Human Learning
Understanding how skills are acquired, retained, and transferred — from motor skills in sports to procedural skills in industry.
Consulting & Investigation
When accidents or system failures occur, understanding the human contribution is essential. Human Performance Research brings decades of scientific expertise to forensic analysis, helping to distinguish between human error, design flaws, and mechanical failure. Findings are communicated clearly to legal teams, juries, and organizational decision-makers.
Leadership
Richard A. Schmidt, Ph.D., has served as President of Human Performance Research since June 2001. He is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and has served as Senior Human Factors Consultant for Vector Scientific, Inc. since January 2009. His academic career and extensive publication record underpin the company's evidence-based approach to every engagement.