Euler buckling in a wheelbarrow obstacle course: a catastrophe with complex lag. Behav Sci 1985 Oct;30(4):204-12
Date
10/01/1985Pubmed ID
4051936DOI
10.1002/bs.3830300405Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0022133316 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 23 CitationsAbstract
This article studies human physical work capacity under increasing load from a general systems theory perspective. There are several points of generalization between the structure of nonliving (building materials) and living systems (humans) with respect to stress, strain, and fatigue. A catastrophe model for Euler buckling was transposed and tested for human performance in a wheelbarrow obstacle course under varying loads. Subjects were 129 employees of a Midwest manufacturing plant. A cusp model was hypothesized and verified (R2 = .68, control R2 = .11) where vertical load was the asymmetry factor, and body balance, height, and sex-related differences all contributed to bifurcation. A catastrophe model in codimension 10 was also invoked to explain memory in the system. Principal control variables were exercise habits, weight, balance, and sex-related differences (R2 = .75). The core model of human load-to-failure was concluded to be similar to that for Euler buckling: additional complexities were discovered which were attributed in part to systemic memory. Discussion points included the use of large dimension catastrophe models for problems involving complex lag effects, and the transposability of the model to the organizational systemic level.
Author List
Guastello SJAuthor
Stephen Guastello BA,MA,PhD Professor in the Psychology department at Marquette UniversityMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Adipose TissueBody Height
Fatigue
Female
Humans
Isotonic Contraction
Male
Man-Machine Systems
Mathematics
Motor Skills
Physical Exertion
Sex Factors
Stress, Mechanical
