cognition Flashcards
(42 cards)
What is the Model Human Processor (MHP)?
A cognitive model describing humans as having perceptual, cognitive, and motor processors with working and long-term memory.
Why must user interfaces be learned?
Unlike natural interfaces, digital systems are artificial. Users build mental models through interaction and feedback.
What is the ‘gulf of execution’?
The gap between a user’s goal and knowing what actions to take in the interface to achieve it.
How do affordances help bridge the gulf of execution?
Affordances are cues in the UI that suggest possible actions, helping users figure out what they can do.
What are the types of affordances in UI design?
Cognitive (mental understanding), physical (hardware interfaces), functional (actual response), and sensory (highlighting active areas).
What is the ‘gulf of evaluation’?
The gap between a user’s action and their ability to understand what effect it had.
How can interfaces be designed to bridge gulfs effectively?
By being ‘self-explanatory’—teaching affordances and giving clear feedback that shows results and options.
What are mental models in HCI?
Internal representations that users form about how a system works, including inputs, outputs, and goals.
Why are mental models often imperfect?
Because users learn from limited interactions and interfaces may not teach effectively, leading to errors and frustration.
What is memory in HCI terms?
The means by which we retain, retrieve, and use information after the original input is gone.
What is attention in HCI?
A selection mechanism for focusing awareness on particular information in memory or the environment.
What are the components of memory in MHP?
Sensory memory (input buffer), working memory (short-term, limited), and long-term memory (unbounded, durable).
What is the capacity of working memory?
Traditionally 7±2 items (Miller), but more recent research suggests about 4±1 items depending on complexity.
How can STM capacity be increased?
By ‘chunking’ information into meaningful groups, such as in phone numbers or grouped instructions.
Why is working memory fragile?
It is volatile—easily disrupted by distractions or shifts in attention.
What design issue does the ‘Mission Impossible’ example illustrate?
Users cannot remember multi-step instructions if they disappear too quickly; instructions should remain visible.
How is long-term memory different from short-term memory?
It stores experiences broadly but imperfectly, and memory details may decay or change over time.
What is recognition in memory?
Identifying something familiar based on new perception; easier and faster than recall.
What is recall in memory?
Retrieving information without a perceptual cue, using mental effort and associations.
Why is recognition preferred over recall in UI design?
Recognition is easier; showing options, icons, or thumbnails helps users act without needing to remember.
How can UIs reduce cognitive load?
Make relevant info visible, minimize required memory, support recognition, and simplify decisions.
What is the goal-execute-evaluate pattern?
A common cognitive loop where users form a goal, choose and perform an action, evaluate the result, and repeat.
What are unit tasks in human behavior?
Tasks that can be completed in 6–30 seconds using working memory, with all required info visible or accessible.
Why do users focus on goals over tools?
Humans direct attention to their goals and related information; tools that demand attention distract from the task.
