Paul Fitts
American psychologist who developed Fitts's law of human movement.
Paul Morris Fitts Jr. (May 6, 1912 – May 2, 1965) was an American psychologist known for his pioneering work in human factors engineering. He conducted research at Ohio State University in conjunction with personnel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a site generally recognized as the 'birthplace of human factors engineering.' Fitts also taught at the University of Michigan and developed Fitts's law, a mathematical model of human movement based on rapid, aimed motion that became one of the most highly successful and well studied models of human motion.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Paul Morris Fitts Jr.
- Birth Date
- May 6, 1912
- Birth Place
- Martin, Tennessee, U.S.
- Death Date
- 1965-05-02
- Death Place
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
- Known For
- Fitts's law
- Workplaces
- Ohio State University / University of Michigan
- Education
- Brown University / University of Rochester
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
During his time as a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Air Forces during World War II, Fitts improved aviation safety by focusing on human factors in what were called 'man-machine operations.' He thus became widely recognized as a pioneer in the emerging multidisciplinary science of human factors engineering.
Reader's Guide
Paul Fitts's significance lies in his development of Fitts's law, a mathematical model of human movement that has been highly successful and well studied. His work at Ohio State University and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base helped establish human factors engineering as a discipline. Fitts served as President of Division 21 (Division of Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology) of the American Psychological Association in 1957–1958, and as president of the Human Factors Society (now the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society) in 1962–1963. The APA now has a Paul Fitts honorary award, and he was elected a Fellow in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. His legacy includes influencing aviation safety and the broader field of human-machine interaction.
Did You Know?
- Fitts served as a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Air Forces during World War II and improved aviation safety through human factors research.
- He was president of the American Psychological Association's Division 21 in 1957–1958.
- Fitts was elected a Fellow in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and served as its president in 1958–1959.
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