Abstract
Helander and deLooze have proposed a model of seated comfort in which comfort and discomfort are conceptually separate. They argue that ergonomic chairs tend to be overdesigned with insufficient attention paid to aesthetics. This argument is critiqued on both methodological and conceptual grounds. The methodological critique is based on psychometric criteria. The conceptual critique is based on the need for an integrated (ecological) approach in which work context and user characteristics are explicitly considered. An alternative model for an ecological ergonomics is presented.
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amick, B.C., Robertson, M., DeRango, K., et al.: Effect of Office Ergonomics Intervention on Reducing Musculoskeletal Symptoms. Spine 28, 2706 (2003)
Bush, T.R., Hubbard, R., Reinecke, S.: An Evaluation of Postural Motions, Chair Motions, and Contact in Four Office Seats (1999)
Campbell, D.T., Fiske, D.W.: Convergent and Discriminant Validation by the Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix. Psychol. Bull. 56, 81–105 (1959)
Dainoff, M., Wagman, J.B.: Implications of Dynamic Touch for Human factors/ergonomics, Contributions from Ecological Psychology (2004)
Dainoff, M.J., Dainoff, M.H.: People & productivity : A manager’s guide to ergonomics in the electronic office. Converging Technologies Series. Holt Rinehart and Winston of Canada, Toronto, London (1986)
De Looze, M.P., Vink, P.: Discomfort and dynamics in office chairs. In: Vink, P. (ed.) Comfort and Design: Principles and Good Practice, p. 293. CRC Press, Boca Raton (2005)
Faiks, F.S., Reinecke, S.: Investigation of spinal curvature while changing one’s posture during seating. In: Hansen, M.A. (ed.) Contemporary Ergonomics, Taylor & Francis, Abington (1998)
Faiks, F.S., Reinecke, S.: Supporting the Lumbar and Thoracic Regions of the Back during Sitting (1998)
Gibson, J.J.: The ecological approach to visual perception. Houghton Mifflin, Boston (1979)
Hancock, P.A., Pepe, A.A., Murphy, L.: Hedonics: The Power of Positive and Pleasurable Ergonomics. Ergonomics in Design 13, 8–11 (2005)
Helander, M.G.: Forget about Ergonomics in Chair Design? Focus on Aesthetics and Comfort! Ergonomics 46, 1306–1307 (2003)
Kolich, M.: Automobile Seat Comfort: Occupant Preferences Vs. Anthropometric Accommodation. Applied Ergonomics 34, 177–184 (2003)
Van Wely, P.: Design and Disease. Applied Ergonomics 1, 262–269 (1970)
Vicente, K.J.: Cognitive work analysis: Toward safe, productive, and healthy computer-based work. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah (1999)
Wagman, J.B.: Human Factors Implications for Controlling User-Tool Environment Interfaces (2004)
Wagman, J.B., Carello, C.: Affordances and Inertial Constraints on Tool use. Ecological psychology 13, 173–195 (2001)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Dainoff, M., Mark, L., Ye, L., Petrovic, M. (2007). Forget About Aesthetics in Chair Design: Ergonomics Should Provide the Basis for Comfort. In: Dainoff, M.J. (eds) Ergonomics and Health Aspects of Work with Computers. EHAWC 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4566. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73333-1_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73333-1_3
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-73332-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-73333-1
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)