What is cognition? (8 points)
- Storing and processing information
- Sensory memory; working memory; long-term memory
- Mental models
- Attention
- Perception
- Learning
- Reading, speaking and listening
- Problem-solving, planning, reasoning and decision-making
How can theories of cognition help interaction design?
- Providing knowledge about what users can and cannot be expected to do
- Identifying and explaining the nature and causes of the problems users encounter
- Supplying techniques to help design more effective interaction
What is sensory memory?
Specific to each of the senses; holds information for a very brief period of time.
Information is transferred from sensory memory to working memory by a simple process of attention.
Information not attended to will be overwritten and lost
What is working/short term memory?
Limited capacity memory for current information; rapid access and decay
Fast to store and retrieve information.
Limited capacity of 7 +/- 2 ‘chunks’
How is the capacity of working memory increased?
It is increased by chunking.
The process of forming a meaningful whole from individual pieces of information.
We can help this by showing patterns, categories, groupings, orderings of information
How can you design to better accommodate working memory?
Reduce working memory load
- Don’t expect users to remember lots of temporary facts
- Or to be able to deal with lots of information arriving simultaneously from different sensory channels
- Help chunking by presenting data in ways that make patterns clear - sort, order, group, use visualisation for information
What is cognitive load?
It is the cognitive effort (or amount of information processing) required by a person to perform this task
What is long-term memory and what are some of it’s features? (5 points)
Main store of information - our usual sense of memory; unlimited capacity; persistent
- Capacity nearly infinite - storing is always possible, problem is remembering.
- Slow, but variable access time
- Little decay
- Performance decreases with age, but the store becomes richer
- Different types of memory: episodic, semantic etc.
What are the 3 long-term memory processes?
Storing (memorising)
- Through rehearsal or repeated exposure
Retrieval
- Recognition versus recall
Activation levels of memory content
Frequency and recency effects - the more you use a memory, and the more recently you have used it, the easier it is to recall something
What is the difference between recognition vs recall?
Recognition involves identifying an item when presented with it.
Recall involves remembering the item using a different cue.
Recognition is the less complex cognitive activity.
What are mental models?
Mental models are representations of the external world which people construct in their minds to help them understand how things work and what to do in current and future situations.
How would you design to help keep user’s attention? (7 points)
EMBED GC
E - Ensure variety in tasks
M - design for Multi-tasking
B - provide Breakpoints in tasks
E - Engage user in active problem solving, not just mentoring
D - avoid Distractions
G - Guide user’s attention to relevant information, e.g. use colour, movement, alerts, structure to direct attention
C - avoid Clutter
