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Modeling Users 2: Predicting Thoughts and Actions in Context

The document discusses different cognitive and user modeling theories including situated action, activity theory, and distributed cognition. It notes limitations of previous models that viewed humans as isolated information processors. The theories discussed emphasize the social context of human cognition and see activities as distributed across individuals and artifacts. The document then explores how user profiles considering attributes like motivation, experience, and tasks can guide interface design, with implications like facilitating ease of use for experienced users or ease of learning for novices.

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Maha Ibrahim
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
26 views

Modeling Users 2: Predicting Thoughts and Actions in Context

The document discusses different cognitive and user modeling theories including situated action, activity theory, and distributed cognition. It notes limitations of previous models that viewed humans as isolated information processors. The theories discussed emphasize the social context of human cognition and see activities as distributed across individuals and artifacts. The document then explores how user profiles considering attributes like motivation, experience, and tasks can guide interface design, with implications like facilitating ease of use for experienced users or ease of learning for novices.

Uploaded by

Maha Ibrahim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 17

Modeling Users 2

Predicting thoughts and


actions in context

Agenda
Other cognitive theories
Situated action
Activity theory
Distributed cognition

User profiles/models -> implications

CS / Psych 6750

Cognitive/User Modeling
Remember the Idea:
. . . If we can build a model of how a user
works, then we can predict how s/he
will interact with the interface (before it
is even built)

CS / Psych 6750

Last Time
MHP, GOMS, CCT, KLM technique
All model human as an information
processing machine

Whats missing?

CS / Psych 6750

(Social) Context
Human information processor models
all involve unaided individual
In reality, people work with other
people and other artifacts
Other models of human cognition
Situation action
Activity theory
Distributed cognition
CS / Psych 6750

Situated Action
Studies situated activity or practice
Activity grows out of the particulars of a
situation
Improvisation is important

Basic unit of analysis is the activity


of persons acting in a setting

CS / Psych 6750

Example
Need 3/4 of 2/3 of cup of cottage
cheese
Just has a simple measuring cup available

Person solves problem by


Measuring 2/3 cup
Pouring out into a circle
Divide into quadrants
Take away one

One time solution to one time problem


CS / Psych 6750

Situated Action Principles


Structuring of an activity grows out
of immediacy of the situation
People engage in opportunistic,
flexible ways to solve problems
NOT Formulaic plans
NOT Rational problem solving
CS / Psych 6750

Activity Theory
Unit of analysis is an activity
Components:
subject, object, actions, operations

Noun

Held by subject, Goal-directed How action


motivates activityprocesses
is carried out
object of gametasks
CS / Psych 6750

Activity Theory Principles


Key idea: Notion of mediation by
artifacts (objects)
Our work is a computer-mediated
activity
Starring role goes to activity
In regular HCI, stars are person and
machine

Context is not out there. It is


generated by people in activities
CS / Psych 6750

10

Distributed Cognition
Unit of analysis is cognitive system
composed of individuals and the
artifacts they use
Studies the coordination and
cooperation between people and
artifacts in a distributed process

CS / Psych 6750

11

Distributed Cog. Principles


NOT Individual agents
Distributed collection of interacting
people and artifacts
Functional system is what matters,
not individual thoughts in peoples
heads
CS / Psych 6750

12

Simpler User Modeling


How do attributes of users (in their
context) influence the design of user
interfaces?
Are there some design guidelines
that we can derive from different
attributes?

CS / Psych 6750

13

User Profiles
Attributes:
attitude, motivation, reading level,
typing skill, education, system
experience, task experience, computer
literacy, frequency of use, training,
color-blindness, handedness, gender,

Novice, intermediate, expert


CS / Psych 6750

14

Motivation
User

Design goal

Low motivation,
discretionary use
Low motivation,
mandatory
High motivation,
due to fear
High motivation,
due to interest

CS / Psych 6750

Ease of learning
Control, power
Ease of learning,
robustness,
control
Power, ease of use

15

Knowledge & Experience


Experience
task system

Design goals
Many syntactic and
semantic prompts
Efficient
commands,
concise syntax
Semantic help
facilities

low low
high

high

low high
high

low
Lots of syntactic
prompting
CS / Psych 6750

16

Job & Task Implications


Frequency of use
High - Ease of use
Low - Ease of learning & remembering

Task implications
High - Ease of use
Low - Ease of learning

System use
Mandatory - Ease of using
Discretionary - Ease of learning

CS / Psych 6750

17

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