The Experimental Study on the Ability to Manage Unexpected Events Using Micro-world Simulation

An experimental study has been performed to examine the inherent ability to manage unexpected events using micro-world simulation. Unexpected events are defined as the events occurring without prior training and description in the operation manual. The hypothesis that the subjects who can perform better in the preliminary stage of skill development tend to perform better in unexpected situations after acquiring the necessary skill has been tested on the basis of cognitive experiments. The dynamic micro-world simulation of a smart grid system (SGS), in which the subjects are instructed to maintain a grid voltage under dynamically changing conditions, has been utilized. In the preliminary experiment, the unexpected events and situations in SGS have been prepared and the level of task difficulty has been calibrated such that the task completion rate is equal to the intended rate. In the main experiment that followed the preliminary runs, 18 subjects participated in the experiments. The experimental results supported the raised hypothesis, which emphasizes the importance of an initial screening process for the human resources against the events beyond design expectation.