HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION

Lecture 10

1
User Models
Predicting thoughts and actions

Cognitive modeling
- Model Human Processor
- GOMS
- Cognitive Complexity Theory
Physical Models
- Keystroke-level models
Human Role

• How is human viewed in HCI

What is human role?
• Different roles engender different
frameworks

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Roles

• 1. Human = Sensory processor

 Experimental psych, sensory psych
• 2. Human = Interpreter/Predicter
 Cognitive psych, AI
• 3. Human = Actor in environment
 Activity theory, ethnography, ecological
psych

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What Makes a System Usable

• 1. Human = Sensory processor

 Usability = Fit within human limits
• 2. Human = Interpreter/Predicter
 Usability = Fit with knowledge
• 3. Human = Actor in environment
 Usability = Fit with task and social context

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Evaluation Techniques

• 1. Human = Sensory processor

 Quantitative experiments
• 2. Human = Interpreter/Predicter
 Task analysis, cognitive walkthrough
• 3. Human = Actor in environment
 Ethnographic field work, participatory design

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Two Views of Interaction

• Interaction with
 Software system is a tool or machine
 Interface is a usability-engineered membrane
 Human-as-processor & -interpreter models
• Interaction through
 Software is a medium used to interact with task
objects or other people
 Interface plays a role in social context
 Human-as-interpreter & -actor models

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 Cognitive/User Modeling

• Idea: If we can build a model of how a

user works, then we can predict how s/he
will interact with the interface
 Predictive modeling, predictive evaluation

• We do not even need a mock-up or prototype

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Components

• Model some aspects of user’s

understanding, knowledge, intentions and
processing
• Vary in representation levels: high
level plans and problem-solving to
low level motor actions such as
keypresses

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Differing Approaches

• Many different modeling

techniques exist
 Human as information processing
machine
Many subfamilies and related models
(Today)
 Human as actor in context
Situation action, Activity theory, Distributed cognition
(To come later…)

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1. Model Human Processor

• Consider humans as information

processing systems
 Predicting performance
 Not deciding how one would act
 A “procedural” model
People learn to use products by generating rules
for their use and “running” their mental model
while interacting with system
• From Card, Moran, and Newell (1980’s)

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MHP Components

• Set of memories and processors together

• Set of “principles of operation”
• Discrete, sequential model
• Each stage has timing characteristics (add
the stage times to get overall
performance times)

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3 (Three) Subsystems

• Perceptual,
• cognitive
• Motor
• Each has own memories and processors
• Fundamental recognize-act cycle of
behavior
 Contents of working memory trigger actions
held in long-term memory
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Perceptual System

• Consists of sensors and associated

buffer memories
 Most important memories being visual image
store and audio image store
 Hold output of sensory system while it is
being symbolically coded

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Cognitive System

• Receives symbolically coded information

from sensory image stores in its
working memory
• Uses that with previously stored
information in long-term memory to make
decisions on how to respond

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Motor System

• Carries out appropriate response

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Principles of Operation

• Set of principles that describe how

behavior occurs (based on experimental
findings about humans)
 Recognize-act cycle, variable perceptual
processor rate, encoding specificity,
variable cognitive processor rate, Power
law of practice, uncertainty, problem
space

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Fall- 2013 18
Related Modeling
Techniques

• Many techniques fall within this “human

as information processor” model
• Common thread - hierarchical
decomposition
 Divide behaviors into
smaller chunks
 Questions:
What is unit chunk?
When to start/stop?
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2. GOMS

• Goals, Operators, Methods, Selection

Rules
 Developed by Card, Moran and Newell
• Probably the most widely known and used
technique in this family

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GOMS

Goals
 what the user wants to achieve

Operators
 basic actions user performs

Methods
 decomposition of a goal into subgoals/operators

Selection
 means of choosing between competing methods
Assumptions

• “Expert” is performing UI operations

• Interacting with system is problem solving
• Decompose into subproblems
• Determine goals to attack problem
• Know sequence of operations used to
achieve the goals
• Timing values for each operation

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 Goal

• End state trying to achieve

• Then decompose into subgoals

Select
sentence
Moved sentence Cut
sentence
Move to new spot
Paste
sentence
Place it

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Operators

• Basic actions available for performing a

task (lowest level actions)

• Examples: move mouse pointer, drag,

press key, read dialog box, …

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Methods

• Sequence of operators (procedures) for

accomplishing a goal (may be
multiple)

• Example: Select sentence

 Move mouse pointer to first word
 Depress button
 Drag to last word
 Release
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Selection Rules

• Invoked when there is a choice of a

method
• GOMS attempts to predict which methods
will be used

• Example: Could cut sentence either by

menu pulldown or by ctrl-x

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GOMS Procedure

• Walk through sequence of steps

• Assign each an approximate time duration

• -> Know overall performance time

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Application

• NYNEX telephone operation system

• GOMS analysis used to determine critical
path, time to complete typical task
• Determined that new system would
actually be slower

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Limitations

• GOMS is not for

 Tasks where steps are not well understood
 Inexperienced users

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GOMS Variants

• GOMS is often combined with a keystroke

level analysis
 KLM - Keystroke level model
 Analyze only observable behaviors such as
keypresses, mouse movements
 Low-level GOMS where method is given
• Tasks split into two phases
 Acquisition of task - user builds mental
representation.
 Execution of task - using system facilities
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Procedure

• How KLM works

 Assigns times to different operators
 Plus: Rules for adding M’s (mental
preparations) in certain spots

• Chart on next slide

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Keystroke Level Model
(KLM)
• lowest level of (original) GOMS
• six execution phase operators
 Physical motor: K - keystroking
P - pointing
H - homing
D - drawing
 Mental M - mental preparation
 System R - response

• times are empirically determined.

Texecute = TK + TP + TH + TD + TM + TR
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Example
Move Sentence
1. Select sentence
Reach for mouse H 0.40
Point to first word P 1.10
Click button down K 0.60
Drag to last word P 1.20
Release K 0.60
3.90 secs

2. Cut sentence
Press, hold ^ Point to menu
Press and release ‘x’ or Press and hold mouse
Release ^ Move to “cut”
Release

3. ...
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Other GOMS Variants

• NGOMSL (Kieras)
 Very similar to GOMS
 Goals expressed as noun-action pair, eg.,
delete word
 Same predictions as other methods
 More sophisticated, incorporates learning,
consistency
 Handles expert-novice difference, etc.

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3. Production Systems

• Cognitive Complexity Theory

 Uses goal decomposition from GOMS and
provides more predictive power
 Goal-like hierarchy expressed using
production rules
if condition, then action
Makes a generalized transition network
 From Kieras and Polson

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Modeling Problems

• 1. Terminology - example
 High frequency use experts - cmd language
 Infrequent novices - menus
 What’s “frequent”, “novice”?
• 2. Dependent on “grain of analysis” employed
 Can break down getting a cup of coffee into 7, 20, or
50 tasks
 That affects number of rules and their types

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Modeling Problems (contd.)

• 3. Does not involve user per se

 Don’t inform designer of what user wants

• 4. Time-consuming and lengthy

• 5. One user, one computer model

 No social context

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THANK YOU

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