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Hci 4

The document discusses attention and memory in human-computer interaction. It covers topics like focused vs divided attention, techniques to guide user attention like structure and alerts, and challenges of multitasking and interruptions. It also discusses levels of processing theory and how meaningfulness impacts memory retention. Interfaces should be designed to be meaningful through context, tasks, representations and underlying concepts. Icons and commands work best when redundant and familiar to users. Recognition is superior to recall in interfaces.

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23 views23 pages

Hci 4

The document discusses attention and memory in human-computer interaction. It covers topics like focused vs divided attention, techniques to guide user attention like structure and alerts, and challenges of multitasking and interruptions. It also discusses levels of processing theory and how meaningfulness impacts memory retention. Interfaces should be designed to be meaningful through context, tasks, representations and underlying concepts. Icons and commands work best when redundant and familiar to users. Recognition is superior to recall in interfaces.

Uploaded by

1045858
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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4.

Attention & Memory

4. Attention & Memory


Attention
 The human brain is limited in capacity.
 Our ability to attend to one event from what seems
like a mass of competing stimuli has been described
psychologically as focussed attention - "cocktail
party effect"
 Attention can be:
 focussed
 divided
 voluntary
 involuntary
4. Attention & Memory
Focussing attention
 Techniques which can be used to guide the
user’s attention include:
 Structure – grouping, based on the Gestalt laws
 Spatial and temporal cues
 Colour coding
 Alerting techniques, including animation or sound
 Note that the concepts of attention and
perception are closely related

4. Attention & Memory


Multitasking
 In complex environments, users may be performing
one primary task which is the most important at that
time, and also one or more less important
secondary tasks.
 For example, a pilot’s tasks include attending to air
traffic control communications, monitoring flight
instruments, dealing with system malfunctions which
may arise, and so on.
 At any time, one of these will be the primary task,
which is said to be foregrounded, while other
activities are momentarily suspended.
4. Attention & Memory
Interruptions
 People are in general good at multitasking
but are often prone to distraction.
 People often develop their own strategies, to
help them remember what actions they need
to perform when they return to an activity.

4. Attention & Memory


Interruptions
 External representations, or cognitive aids
 Cognitive aids have applications in HCI, where
the system can be design to provided them –
 the system should inform user where he was
 the system should remind user of common tasks

4. Attention & Memory


Automatic processing
 Automatic processes
 are not affected by limited capacity of brain
 do not require attention
 are difficult to change once they have been
learned
 Controlled Processes
 are non-automatic processes
 have limited capacity
 require attention and conscious control (Shiffrin &
Shneider, 1977)
4. Attention & Memory
Stroop effect - interference

4. Attention & Memory


Focussing attention
Comment on the techniques used to focus attention in these interfaces:

4. Attention & Memory


Memory – levels of processing
 The extent to which things can be remembered
depends on its meaningfulness.
 levels of processing theory (Craik and Lockhart ,
1972)
 information can be processed at different levels, from a
shallow analysis of a stimulus (for example the sound of a
word) to a deep or semantic analysis
 The meaningfulness of an item determines the
depth of the processing – the more meaningful an
item the deeper the level of processing and the
more likely it is to be remembered

4. Attention & Memory


Meaningful Interfaces
 Interfaces should be designed to be meaningful.
 This applies both to interfaces which use
commands and interfaces which use icons or
graphical representations for actions.
 Factors which determine the meaningfulness are:
 Context in which the command or icon is used
 The task it is being used for
 The form of the representation
 The underlying concept

4. Attention & Memory


Meaningfulness of commands
 Syntax and commands should be kept simple and natural
 The number of commands in a system should be limited and in a
limited format
 Consider the user context and knowledge when choosing
command names.
 Choose meaningful command names. Words familiar to the user
 The system should recognize synonymous and alternative forms
of command syntax
 Allow the users to create their own names for commands
(aliases)

4. Attention & Memory


Meaningfulness of icons

4. Attention & Memory


Representational form

4. Attention & Memory


Representational form

4. Attention & Memory


Representational form

4. Attention & Memory


Representational form

4. Attention & Memory


Icons

4. Attention & Memory


Combination icons
 Icons are often favoured as an alternative to
commands.
 However, the meaning of icons can sometimes
be confusing
 It is now quite common to use a redundant
form of representation where the icons are
displayed together with the command names.

4. Attention & Memory


Icons in web pages

4. Attention & Memory


Icons in web pages
 Icon use in web pages is sparing for a number
of reasons, for example:
 Pages often convey information and branding
graphically, so it would be difficult to focus attention
on icons among other graphical content.
 Graphical links are often banners to focus attention
to a small number of specific items
 The web browser has its own set of icons

4. Attention & Memory


Recognition vs. recall
 Knowledge in the head & in the world
 Superiority of recognition over recall
 Menus
 Graphical interfaces
 Experts – knowledge in the head:
 knowledge of how to access & interpret information
that is displayed on the screen
 knowledge of information that is not displayed on
the screen
4. Attention & Memory
Recognition vs. recall
 These screenshots show the same task being performed in different
ways (listing the contents of a Linux directory). Discuss the role of
knowledge in each:

4. Attention & Memory

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