Item: HUMAN BEHAVIOUR ABCs A NEW APPROACH TO TEACHING RECREATIONAL BACKCOUNTRY USERS
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Title: HUMAN BEHAVIOUR ABCs A NEW APPROACH TO TEACHING RECREATIONAL BACKCOUNTRY USERS
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Mary Clayton [ Avalanche Canada, Revelstoke, BC ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: Avalanche Canada's recreational training program has long recognized the importance of teaching how human behaviours can affect sound decision-making in avalanche terrain. Much is owed to the work of Dr. Ian McCammon, who first introduced the concept of human factors and their effects on recreational avalanche accidents in the early 2000s (2002). Through this innovative work, McCammon developed a list of mental shortcuts known as FACETS. While FACETS served to highlight the effect of biases, its focus on negative outcomes, as well as the complexity of the acronym, were impediments to its effective implementation in recreational training. In 2018, Avalanche Canada published a student handbook for its introductory Avalanche Skills Training course (AST 1) in which we highlighted positive behaviours as well as negative. We explicitly chose to move away from using FACETS in this handbook but did not provide an easy method for instructors to teach these concepts of human behaviour. As a result, the acronym continued to appear in the instructor materials and some instructors continued to use it. In the fall of 2024, I developed the Human Behaviour ABCs: Attitude, Biases, Communication. This mnemonic comprises clear, easily understood language that points students toward an increased level of self-awareness while emphasizing the vital need for structured decision-making tools, such as the Avaluator. I also wanted to provide instructors with concepts that could be easily referred to and integrated throughout the course.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P1.9.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098893
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Mary Clayton
Keywords: Human behaviours, attitude, biases, communication
Page Number(s): 178 - 179
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