There is a plethora of information in Cognitive psychology which can be applied to Human-Computer Interaction. However, it has many challenges to it applying these theories to HCI.
1) Making an inference just by using small group of people
In traditional psychology, you can observe some people in a laboratory and get to a result. However, this does not hold true when it comes to applying psychology to the field of HCI.
2) Lack of Theory
We need theory to base our experiments upon and get the result. We do not have enough theory for the HCI.
However, there are many learnings of psychology which we can apply to HCI
For example, psychology says:
1. Humans are limited in their capacity to hold and process information
Based on this teaching of psychology, we have the principle that we should put minimum load on the short term memory of the user.
We should design screens where options are clearly visible.
We are Information Processors
We as human beings are information processors. Just like computers receive information and then process it. We also receive information and process it.
We can consider an analogy b/w "human information processor" and computer
Human processor is something which obtains information and translates it into an output.
We, humans, receive information from our senses like vision. We obtain information from the sense of vision to see the world around us.
Computers obtain information from the keyboard.
Computer process information in their CPU.
We humans process information in our brain.
Computers use the input and produce the output
Human also produce some output to information given to them.
Human Input device : Sensors or senses
Human Output device: fingers, head vocal system
Computer Input device: Keyboard
Computer output device: output screen
Sensation and Perception
When we talk about human input, it makes sense to talk about sensation and perception.
Sensation and perception are very important concepts of psychology. An implied form of these concepts is also used in Management, Politics, etc.
Sensation : Sensation refers to the activities in which external inputs from environment are received and "initially" processed.
Perception : Perception refers to the meaning we assign to the events around us.
Perception is how we "interpret" the information we receive through sensation.
Attention!
I put this heading in red to draw your attention and if you stopped to read this while browsing through the blog, it served my purpose.
It is inbuilt into us that certain things catch attention. For example, moving things catch attention.
Application to HCI:
Use an alarm mechanism to give serious warning.
Insights about giving input :
Psychology says that input and sensation and perception almost occur in parallel.
Whereas, output is more serial.
Although we human beings can process a lot of information serially, there is limit to the input we can take altogether. Imagine a messed up secretary who is told 15 things by her boss simultaneously.
Put a limit to it
A secretary overloaded with information. We should keep input not this high!
Application to HCI:
It is good idea to put lot of information at one place but don't overdo it.
We read slower on screens as compared to on paper:
1. Dillon, McKnight, and Richardson (1988) did a large body of research comparing reading from paper to reading from screens. They concluded that reading from screens may be slower and less accurate than reading from paper - but not always.
Screen image affects the quality with which we read from screen.
If the image is good we can read easily just like paper.
Checkout Amazon kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Original-Wireless-generation/dp/B000FI73MA
Hope amazon pays me for writing this blog. I am doing their marketing. lol.
But see how wonderfully they have made the amazon kindle image. The image is good so one can read as good as paper.
Bad Background
Avoid having a dark background which makes the text difficult to read.
Sound to draw attention
Remember that noisy exam when there was a construction going on which made you feel irritated.
It is inbuilt into us we are drawn to sound.
Perhaps our ancestors used this attention to sound system to protect themselves from predators.
Application to HCI:
Use sound to draw attention.
If there is something critical the user must pay attention to use the sound system.
Zone alarm antivirus and some other antivirus system use sound system to draw attention.
Touch
Touch gives us a tactile input. We use touch as we type.
Application to HCI:
Use virtual reality system to give a better experience of touch. For example, head-mounted devices.
Joysticks also stimulate touch
Joysticks enhance the feeling of touch.
Touch is inbuilt into us to be used as a sensory input information.
References:
Usability Engineering process, products and examples by Laura Leventhal and Julie Barnes
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