Human Information

Processing
James Patrick A. Acang | Deparment of Computer Science
2 Basic Elements of HCI
• Computer Factors
• Human Behaviour
Human Factors
• Cognitive Science
• Explains the human’s capability and model conscious processing
of high-level information
• Ergonomics
• Elucidate how raw external simulation signals are accepted by
our five senses
Human Factors
Human Factors
• Task/Interaction Modelling
• Formulate the steps for how humans might interact
• Prediction, assessment, and evaluation of interactive
behaviour
• Understand and predict humans might react mentally:
• Information presentation and Input solicitation for interface
implementation
• Explain or predict their performance and usability
Information Processing Model
Information Processing Model

• Senses external
information.
• Examples:
Visual
Aural
Haptic
Information Processing Model

• Interprets and extracts

basic meanings of the
external information.
Information Processing Model

• Memory
• Stores momentary and
short-term information
or long term knowledge.
• Examples:
external world
procedures
rules
relations, schema
candidates of
actions to apply
Information Processing Model

• Decision Maker/Executor
• Formulates and revises a
plan
• Decides what to do
• Acts by commanding the
motors
Information Processing Model
Information Processing Model
Information Processing Model
Human Reaction and Prediction of Cognitive
Performance
• Norman and Draper
• “Gulf of Execution / Evaluation”
• Explains how users can be left confused
• Happens when interactive systems do
not meet the expectation of users
• This results to ill-modelled interaction
• The mismatch of the user’s mental
model and the task model creates the
“gulf”.
Human Reaction and Prediction of Cognitive
Performance
• Types of Memory in Human
Cognitive System
• Short Term (Working Memory)
• Contains Changing Memory Elements
for the task at hand (chunks)
• 8 chunks of memory for a short period
of time.
• Long Term
• Knowledge
Human Reaction and Prediction of Cognitive
Performance
• Retrieving information from the long
term-memory is:
• Difficult; and
• Relatively time consuming task.
• Display information to elicit
recognition.
Human Reaction and Prediction of Cognitive
Performance
• Memory Related Performance
Issues:
• Systems for experts
• Multi-tasking environments
Predictive Performance Assessment
• Important cognitive activities are analysed in terms of their
typical approximate time.
• Single chunk retrieval from short-term memory.
• Encoding (memorizing) of information to the long-term memory.
• Responding to visual stimulus and interpreting its content.
• The estimate and the task sequence model can be used to
estimate the time needed to complete the task.
Predictive Performance Assessment
• GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods and Selection)
Framework
• Starts from the hierarchical task modelling
• Map each specific interface to each of the subtask
• Estimate total time of task and apply improvements
Reference
• Kim G. (2015). Human-Computer Interaction: Fundamentals and Practice.
CRC Press Taylor and Francis Group.