The psychology of everyday actions Don Norman CS

The psychology of everyday actions – Don Norman CS 420/620 – Human Computer Interaction Based on slides initially prepared by Majed Al Zayer (former course instructor) University of Nevada, Reno Fall’ 19 1

Agenda • The two gulfs of human-computer interaction • The seven stages of action • Human cognition and emotion (the three levels of processing) • The seven stages of action and the three levels of processing • Stages of action vs. elements of design 2

Agenda • The two gulfs of human-computer interaction • The seven stages of action • Human cognition and emotion (the three levels of processing) • The seven stages of action and the three levels of processing • Stages of action vs. elements of design 3

What happened? How do I work this? Is this what I wanted? What can I do? Gulf of evaluation Gulf of execution Goal World 4

The Gulf of Execution: when people try to figure out how to use a device (item, interface) The Gulf of Evaluation: where they try to figure out what state the device is in and whether their actions got them to their goal 5

As designer, your mission is to “help people bridge the two gulfs” 6

Agenda • The two gulfs of human-computer interaction • The seven stages of action • Human cognition and emotion (the three levels of processing) • The seven stages of action and the three levels of processing • Stages of action vs. elements of design 7

Plan Compare Specify Interpret Perform Perceive Gulf of evaluation Gulf of execution Goal World 8

Seven stages of actions: one for goal, three for execution, and three for evaluation 1 Goal (form a goal) 2 Plan (the action) 3 Specify (an action sequence) 4 Perform (the action sequence) 5 Perceive (the state of the world) 6 Interpret (the perception) 7 Compare (the outcome with the goal) 9

Stage #1: Formulate the goal Open the “find in page” search box 10

Stage #2: Plan the action • Use some command(s) to open “find in page” 11

Stage #3: Specify the action • Cntrl + F • Menu -> Find 12

Stage #4: Perform the action Press Ctrl + F 13

14

Stage #5: Perceive the state I see a box on the upper right corner 15

Stage #6: Interpret the state • This is a search box • invoked by the browser • it’s not the address box • It’s enabled 16

Stage #7: Compare the state to the goal … then, it’s the ”find in page” dialog 17

Stages of action: Triggers Event-driven Self-driven Actions performed as a response to an event triggered by the world Actions performed to accomplish a goal 18

Stages of action: Event-driven triggers Plan Compare Specify Interpret Perform Perceive �� World 19 Gulf of evaluation Gulf of execution Goal

Stages of action: Self-driven triggers Plan Compare Specify Interpret Perform Perceive World 20 Gulf of evaluation Gulf of execution �� Goal

Stages of action: Goals and sub-goals Gulf of execution Compare Specify Interpret Perform Perceive Gulf of evaluation Plan Compare Specify Interpret Perform Perceive Gulf of evaluation �� Open “find in page” Gulf of execution �� Find HCI definition World 21

Agenda • The two gulfs of human-computer interaction • The seven stages of action • Human cognition and emotion (the three levels of processing) • The seven stages of action and the three levels of processing • Stages of action vs. elements of design 22

Subconscious and Conscious Systems of Cognition • Subconscious thought § Fast § Automatic § Multiple resources § Controls skilled behavior • Conscious thought • • Slowed Controlled Limited resources Invoked for novel situations: when learning, when in danger, when things go wrong 23

Three Levels of Processing 1 Visceral • The basic level • Quick & subconscious judgements about the environment: good or bad, safe or dangerous • Fast and automatic • About immediate perception 2 Behavioral • Home of learned skills • Actions and analyses are largely subconscious (e. g. , playing a sport) • Actions associated with expectations • Behavioral states are learned 24

Three Levels of Processing 3 Reflective Home of conscious cognition Involves analysis, reasoning and decision making Cognitive, deep, and slow Often happens after events occurred; also, can be about predictions • Highest level of emotions come from this level • • In summary • Visceral and behavioral levels are subconscious & home of basic emotions • The reflective level is where conscious thought and decisionmaking reside, and is home of highest level of emotions • Design must take place at all levels 25

Agenda • The two gulfs of human-computer interaction • The seven stages of action • Human cognition and emotion (the three levels of processing) • The seven stages of action and the three levels of processing • Stages of action vs. elements of design 26

Plan Reflective Compare Specify Behavioral Interpret Perform Visceral Perceive Gulf of evaluation Gulf of execution Goal World 27

Agenda • The two gulfs of human-computer interaction • The seven stages of action • Human cognition and emotion (the three levels of processing) • The seven stages of action and the three levels of processing • Stages of action vs. elements of design 28

Stages of action: So what? What are the alternatives? Is this okay? What can I do? What does it mean? How do I do it? What happened? World Feedback Feedforward What do I want to accomplish? 29

Stages of action: So what? • Task analysis �� How do people perform an action? �� What are the goals/sub-goals? �� What is the ultimate goal? �� Where do people struggle exactly? 30

Stages of action: So what? • Product evaluation �� Are people aware of all alternatives? �� Can they satisfy their goal with at least one of these alternatives? �� Do they know how to do the actions? �� Can they perceive the feedback? �� Can they make sense of this feedback? �� Can they easily know if they accomplished their goal? 31

What are the alternatives? Is this okay? What can I do? What does it mean? How do I do it? What happened? Feedback Feedforward What do I want to accomplish? World 32

• Signifiers • Constraints • Mapping + Conceptual model Discoverability Feedback What are the alternatives? Is this okay? What can I do? What does it mean? How do I do it? What happened? Feedback Feedforward What do I want to accomplish? Feedback that is: • Perceivable • Meaningful • Guiding + Conceptual model World 33

Seven fundamental principles of design • Insights from the seven stages of action lead to the following 7 fundamental principles of design �� Discoverability �� Feedback �� Conceptual model �� Affordances �� Signifiers �� Mappings �� Constraints 34