Cognitive Psychology and its Impact on Interaction Design (IxD)
Cognitive psychology encompasses a series of interconnected processes, which will be outlined below. Alongside elucidating these processes, we will delve into their implementation within Interaction Design (IxD) solutions. It’s important to note that some of these processes exhibit interdependence.
Prior to delving into the depths of cognitive psychology, it is essential to clarify the concept of cognition. The Latin term ‘Cognoscere,’ meaning ‘to know,’ forms the basis of cognition. Cognition refers to the mental processes that occur in our brains as a result of our daily activities. Experiential cognition, such as driving a car or reading a book, involves human responses to immediate stimuli, while reflective cognition, including tasks like writing or learning, encompasses higher-level processes like thinking, decision-making, and comparison.
Cognition emerges through the interplay between the body, brain, and the external environment. According to Dr. Barbara Anne Dosher, cognitive psychology involves a methodical exploration of human cognition, focusing on mental abilities like thinking, remembering, perceiving, and understanding. For instance, individuals can recall enjoyable or embarrassing childhood memories.
However, recalling specific moments or names can prove to be a challenging task. Aligning with the “Cognitive Psychology Journal” by G.D. Logan, cognitive psychology constitutes a more precise and advanced study of the inner workings of the mind, including attention, perception, memory, decision-making, reasoning, problem-solving, learning, understanding, and languages. (Logan, 1990) (Cherry, 2018)
The influence of cognitive psychology (processes and models) on interaction design (IxD) is increasingly becoming a significant factor. Through the application of cognitive psychology, designers make informed decisions regarding what they should create in alignment with user concepts, thoughts, and other activities. (Durrani, 2009) (Hewett, n.d.) The objective of interaction design is to comprehend user requirements and develop a well-regarded design that enhances predictability through a motivational approach.
Processes of Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on understanding how people think, perceive, remember, and process information. It explores the mental processes that underlie human behavior and cognition. The processes of cognitive psychology can be broadly categorized into several key areas:
Attention
Pursuant to the renowned psychologist William James, in a flawless and vivid manner, attention involves possessing a simulation of potential scenarios about objects or incidents within our imagination while diverting focus from other stimuli. (James, 1890) It can be classified into various types, including selective attention (attempting to listen to a partner in a loud concert), alternative attention (reading recipe instructions for learning and subsequently implementing them), sustained attention (persistent focus on a task for an extended period, such as painting), and divided attention (engaging in texting while spending time with someone else).
In IxD, attention plays a pivotal role. Users are accustomed to handling multiple tasks simultaneously, making it quite challenging to maintain their focus on a single object. Their attention is subject to continuous shifts. Therefore, attention holds utmost importance in devising solutions for interaction design.
Memory
Memory stands as one of the most intricate facets within cognitive psychology. The study of memory, situated within the limbic system, delves into the processes of acquiring, preserving, and retrieving memories. For instance, consider a person searching for a gold medal earned many years ago; although seen just two days prior, it proves elusive in their recollection. However, memory functions within three distinct phases: Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval.
Here some peculiarities are drawn among sensory (Iconic or visual and echoic or auditory) memory, short-term (according to Miller law’s, STM is capable of 5 to 9 smithereens) memory (STM) or working (consist 3 parts; — Phonological Loop, visuospatial sketch pad and central executive) memory (WM) and long-term memory (LTM) depends on the information reachable time epoch when the information is first or initially encountered.
Memory has a great impact on interaction design. Memory assists to recognize or recall things depends on context (i.e. when, where). For example,
Someone wants to reschedule thermostat for 7days while in hurry, a user might not recall the temperature of last week. The user might be fed up and leave it as it is. Alternatively, if get some suggestion like it was a sunny day and you (User) set the temperature near 15–23 degree (recognition), he/she can easily organize.
So, designer of an IxD should continue with some assistance for the solution use so that user can easily remember things as they actually want to solve.
Perception
As Dr. Andre Szameitat asserts, the process of perception involves our cognitive system crafting an internal representation of the external world. (Szameitat, 2017) Perception entails the collection, assimilation, and interpretation of raw data through our senses (auditory, visual, somatosensory), organs (eyes, nose, ears, touch), and processing units (motion or form). In this process, data undergo alteration or transformation through cognitive intelligence, culminating in enigmatic and coherent percepts. Perception can indeed vary based on individual perspectives.
As the tangled process, perception covers other progressions of cognitive such as attention and memory process too. Theories that work behind the perception are Top-Down and Bottom-Up, Template, Component recognition and Feature-Matching theories etc.
In IxD, perception is also an imperative fact. Though different user has a dissimilar perspective of the same thing (figure-7) and similar components of matching design might construct confusion. Using the Gestalt laws, our perception phenomenon converts more cabbalistic.
Learning
Learning is a process through which we assimilate new information or refine our existing behaviors, knowledge, values, skills, or preferences. (Wikipedia, 2018) “Learning by doing” stands out as the most effective approach to acquiring knowledge. The learning process encompasses the acquisition of profound comprehension via implicit learning (such as riding a bicycle or practicing swimming) or explicit learning through firsthand experience.
In IxD, using learning process, it helps to user to make experienced. For example, after creating a new account, it shows a short tour to assist us in getting their experiences.
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Decision Making
Involving reflective cognition, this process constructs seeding of thinking about to do list, obtainable alternatives, and the consequence of an accomplishment. (Virtual University of Pakistan, 2014) Reasoning expresses inferring new gen from erudite experience or information where problem-solving outlines the procedure of conclusion an answer of an inexperienced task by implementing own knowledge. After generating multiple answers then it’s essential to make a decision.
Cognitive Models
Cognitive models are the approach to achieving knowledge practicing process of cognitive. Here some synopsis of the cognitive model is illustrated below –
Mental Model
The mental model is a concept, worldview or framework that accomplishes inside our mind and helps us to understand how something performs, a relation between things, generate assumption and unconsciously influence our attitude, thoughts, feeling, behavior or judgment.
“Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.” — Peter M. Senge.
From IxD perspective, the mental model helps to learn the about mental model of the user so that designer can understand develop perfect solution for them. So basic and common artifacts, need be used while designing any interaction solution.
Theory of Action
Theory of action defines the prediction sets based on the current situation. According to this model, the way human interacts with any task, in that way they will get the respond. In two ways, the approach of this theory is described below –
Gulf of Execution — It outlines the breach between the user and the system while they make interaction through the system. In IxD, this will aid to accelerate the usability of a solution by identifying the gap or distance of using the solution.
Gulf of Evaluation — This describes the system responses like difficulties of the system while user makes an interaction with the system. In IxD, this evaluation assists to encounter those difficulties and prepare the system more reliable.
External Cognition
External cognition is mainly mentioning the interaction between interior and exterior illustration of information and how the information is manipulating to a human inner mind. It helps to diminish pressure from the human memory (e.g. reminders, alerts and note taking), offloading (e.g. writing or drawing) and annotating (e.g. make a list while shopping and mark as a checked while the items put in the basket).
For example, someone forgot the actual direction of the desired location while driving a car. It can increase mental pressure for him because he needs to go hurry. In contrast, if there has any street sign/metaphor or option for using map can reduce the mental pressure and help him to reach the destination.
Chosen Approach
To interact with the thermostat both internally and externally from the outside, the mental model is implemented for the development of this prototype so that users’ interested areas can be focused. It would help the developer to understand how users think about the thermostat and what minimum feature they expect from it. Studying it would also reduce its functional complexities as users can easily navigate their tasks.