Learning

Question 0

Cathedral Effect

Answer 0

A relationship between the perceived height of a ceiling and cognition.
• High ceilings promote abstract thinking and creativity.
• Low ceilings promote concrete and detail-oriented thinking.
• Favor high ceilings to extend the time in which visitors remain on site and low ceilings to minimize loitering.

Question 1

Biophilia Effect

Answer 1

Environments rich in nature views and imagery reduce stress and enhance focus and concentration.

Question 2

Chunking

Answer 2

A technique of combining many units of information into a limited number of units or chunks, so that the information is easier to process and remember.
• The maximum number of chunks that can be efficiently processed by short-term memory is four, plus or minus one.

Question 3

Classical Conditioning

Answer 3

A technique used to associate a stimulus with an unconscious physical or emotional response.
• Psychologist Ivan Pavlov’s lab workers discovered the technique (salivating dogs).
• behavior modification: Associating smoking (e.g.) with aversive images or tastes. • marketing and advertising: Associating products or services with attractive images or feelings.
• phobias: Caused by negative associations.

Question 4

Comparison

Answer 4

A method of illustrating relationships and patterns in system behaviors by representing two or more system variables in a controlled way.
• key techniques: Apples to apples, single context, benchmarks.

Key techniques for making valid comparisons:
• apples to apples: Comparison data should be presented using common measures (e.g., inches to inches) and common units.
• single context: Comparison data should be presented in a single context (e.g., on the same page), so that subtle differences and patterns in the data are detectable.
• benchmarks: Claims about evidence or phenomena should be accompanied by benchmark variables (e.g., past performance data or competitor data) so that clear and substantive comparisons can be made.

Question 5

Depth of Processing

Answer 5

A phenomenon of memory in which information that is analyzed deeply is better recalled than information that is analyzed superficially.

Question 6

Gutenberg Diagram

Answer 6

A diagram that describes the general pattern followed by the eyes when looking at evenly distributed, homogeneous information.
• Named after Johannes Gutenberg
who introduced printing to Europe (around 1450) with his invention of mechanical moveable type.

Question 7

Hierarchy

Answer 7

Hierarchical organization is the simplest structure for visualizing and understanding complexity.
• three basic ways: Trees, nests, stairs.

• tree structures: Locates child elements below or to the right of parent elements, or through other strategies (e.g., size, connecting lines).
• nest structures: Visually contains child elements within parent elements, as in a Venn diagram.
• stair structures: Stacks child elements below and to the right of parent elements, as in an outline.

Question 8

Immersion

Answer 8

A state of mental focus so intense that aware- ness of the “real” world is lost, generally resulting in a feeling of joy and satisfaction.

Question 9

Layering

Answer 9

The process of organizing information into related groupings in order to manage complexity and reinforce relationships in the information.

There are two basic kinds of layering:
• two-dimensional layering: Involves separating information into layers such that only one layer of information can be viewed at a time. Two-dimensional layering can be:
• Linear: Has a beginning, middle and end.
• Non-linear: Can be hierarchical (e.g., an organizational
chart), parallel (e.g., a thesaurus) or web (e.g., hypertext). • three-dimensional layering: Involves separating
information into layers such that multiple layers of information can be viewed at a time (opaque or transparent layers).

Question 10

Legibility

Answer 10

The visual clarity of text, generally based
on the size, typeface, contrast, text block, and spacing of the characters used.

Question 11

Mnemonic Device

Answer 11

A method of reorganizing information to make the information easier to remember. • examples: First letter, keyword, rhyme, feature-name.

Question 12

Operant Conditioning

Answer 12

A technique used to modify behavior by reinforcing desired behaviors, and ignoring or punishing undesired behaviors.
• three basic techniques: Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment.

Question 13

Performance Load

Answer 13

The greater the effort to accomplish a task, the less likely the task will be accomplished successfully.

Question 14

Picture Superiority Effect

Answer 14

Pictures are remembered better than words.

Question 15

Progressive Disclosure

Answer 15

A strategy for managing information com- plexity in which only necessary or requested information is displayed at any given time.

Question 16

Rosetta Stone

Answer 16

A technique for communicating novel information using elements of common understanding.

Question 17

Serial Position Effects

Answer 17

A phenomenon of memory in which items presented at the beginning and end of a list are more likely to be recalled than items
in the middle of a list.
• visual stimuli: Items presented early in a list have the greatest influence.
• auditory stimuli: Items presented late in the list have the greatest influence.

Question 18

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Answer 18

The ratio of relevant to irrelevant infor- mation in a display. The highest possible signal-to-noise ratio is desirable in design. • high signal-to-noise ratio: A graph with no extraneous elements.
• low signal-to-noise ratio: A graph with many extraneous elements.

Question 19

Stickiness

Answer 19

A method for dramatically increasing the recognition, recall, and unsolicited sharing of an idea or expression.
• six variables: Simplicity, surprise, concreteness, credibility, emotion, story.

Question 20

Storytelling

Answer 20

A method of creating imagery, emotions, and understanding of events through an interac- tion between a storyteller and an audience.
• good storytelling requires:
Setting, characters, plot, invisibility, mood, movement.

Question 21

von Restorff Effect

Answer 21

A phenomenon of memory in which notice- ably different things are more likely to be recalled than common things.
• can be a difference in: Context or experience.