University of Colorado
ppolson@psych.colorado.edu, (303) 492 5622, fax (303) 492 7177
Clayton Lewis, Campus Box 430, University of Colorado, Boulder CO 80309
clayton@cs.colorado.edu, (303) 492 6657, fax (303) 492 2844
Our work on design has led to the development of the Cognitive Walkthrough method and its extensions. The aim of the walkthrough is to deliver some of the benefits of a theoretical analysis of an interface to designers who are not cognitive theorists.
On the theory side we have developed models within Kintsch's construction integration architecture, in collaboration with Muneo Kitajima of Industrial Products Research Institute, that provide an account of error processes, including errors made by highly skilled users. Working with both Anderson's ACT-R architecture and SOAR (in collaboration with Richard Young) we have modelled the process by which users can apply knowledge of familiar user interface conventions to an unfamiliar application. This process is fundamental to the success of modern interface families but is as yet poorly understood.
We are currently working with Kitajima on an extension of our construction-integration model to account for the same behaviors. The approach being pursued draws on work by Kintsch and Greeno that treats some problem-solving as a form of comprehension.
Kitajima, M., and Polson, P. G. (1995). Mechanisms of Slips in Display-Based Human-Computer Interaction: A Model-Based Analysis. In Y. Anzai, K. Ogawa. and H. Mori (Eds.) Advances in Human Factors/Ergonomics, Symbiosis of Human and Artifact: Human and Social Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction . Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 515-520
Lee, A.Y., Foltz, P.W., and Polson, P.G. (1994) Memory for Task-Action Mappings: Mnemonics, regularity, and consistency. International Journal of Human-Computer studies,, 40, pp 771-730.
Kitajima, M. and Polson, P. (1992) A computational model of skilled use of a graphical user interface. In Proc. CHI'92, New York: ACM, 241-249.
Rehder, B., Lewis, C., Terwilliger, B., Polson, P., and Rieman, J. (1995) A model of optimal exploration and decision making in novel interfaces. In CHI'95 Conference Companion, New York: ACM, 230-231.
Rieman, J., Lewis, C., Young, R. and Polson, P. (1994) Why is a raven like a writing desk? Lessons in interface consistency and analogical reasoning from two cognitive architectures. In Proc. CHI'94, New York: ACM, 438-444.
Wharton, C., Rieman, J., Lewis, C. and Polson, P. (1994) The Cognitive Walkthrough method: A proactitioner's guide. In J. Nielsen and R. Mack (Eds.) Usabiltity Inspection Methods. New York: Wiley, 1994, 105-140.
Considerable progress has been made along these in characterizing skilled performance, including transfer of skill among tasks. Much remains to be done in understanding errors, which are surprisingly frequence even among experienced, knowledgeable users, processes of learning and exploration, and goal formation in non-routinized tasks.