Operator-specific model: An assembly time prediction model

A model was developed to predict assembly time for a circuit board assembly task. It was based upon the GOMS language developed for task time prediction in human-computer interaction. It incorporated sequential elements of information processing, defined by cognitive, motor, and perceptual processors, in a critical path network. The model was used to predict assembly time for four assembly strategies using four different combinations of workstation and assembly sequences. The model was useful in predicting cognitive changes associated with the development of expertise. As assemblers gained experience, structural changes in the network implied that several processors were chunked.