Counter-Errorism in Diving: Applying Human Factors to Diving21 Maalis

SH263: The desperate need for blame

This episode tells the story of a calm, well-planned dive that still ended with an unexpected case of decompression sickness, and uses it to explore how people react when things go wrong. Even when the dive was conservative, the team experienced, and everything seemed to be done “right,” a diver still became unwell — showing that not all risks can be controlled or explained. The episode looks at our natural need to find someone or something to blame after accidents, and how this search for causes often comes from fear, not facts. It explains how people try to protect their sense of safety by creating simple explanations, even when reality is uncertain and complex. The core message is that true safety in diving doesn’t come from believing we can control everything, but from accepting uncertainty, staying humble, learning from events without blame, and building resilience, awareness, and reflection into every dive.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/desperate-need-for-blame

Resources:

Dekker, S., ’t Hart, P. (2010). Judgment and decision making in complex systems.
Mezulis et al. (2004). A meta-analytic review of self-serving attribution bias.
Baumeister (1999). Self-concept, self-esteem, and self-deception.
Reason, J. (1990). Human Error.
Dekker, S. (2014). The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error'.
Skinner, E. (1996). A guide to constructs of control.
Rotter, J. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.
Lerner, M. (1980). The Belief in a Just World: A Fundamental Delusion.
Hafer & Bègue (2005). The Belief in a Just World and Reactions to Innocent Victims.
Ross, L. (1977). The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings.
Jones & Harris (1967). The attribution of attitudes.

Tags: English| Sense-making, Decision-making, & Psychology

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