What is Rule Based performance?

• A. High degree of familiarity, low attention
• B. Unfamiliar situation has a 1:10 chance of making a mistake
• C. More routine with defined steps
• D. Less familiar with task, he pays closer attention; risk is at 1:1000

Answer: (D)

Rule-based performance happens when a person uses established rules or procedures to guide actions in a situation that isn’t fully automatic. They rely on those rules and actively monitor cues to decide how to apply them. The description that fits this best is someone who isn’t fully familiar with the task but applies a rule and pays close attention to ensure it’s followed correctly. This reflects using a known rule to handle the situation while still concentrating, which tends to keep risk relatively contained (about 1 in 1000) compared to completely uncertain, rule-free action. In contrast, very familiar tasks evoke automatic, low-attention performance (skill-based), and very novel situations push you toward knowledge-based problem solving with higher cognitive load.