7.3.5-2 Automatic, Self-Correct Features for Interface Management Action

Automatic, self-correcting features should only be used for interface management actions, such as retrieving displays.

Additional Information:
Automatic, self-correcting features detect and automatically correct errors that users make when providing inputs; for example, a 'Delete' command that is incorrectly entered as 'DLE' will be automatically changed to its correct form 'DEL' and then executed. These systems can interfere with user's activities if their error-detection facilities are overgeneralized (i.e., they interpret correct entries as being errors), since the system may substitute an incorrect response for the correct one provided by the user, thereby affecting plant operation and safety. Additional mental burdens may be imposed on the user to learn, remember, and anticipate the types of correct inputs that these systems will interpret as errors. Therefore, automated, self-correcting features should not be employed for plant-control actions. Instead, other approaches should be used, such as warnings and confirmation steps.