Colloquium Details
Exploratory cognitive modeling provides insight into the strategic coordination of the perceptual and motor processes used to search hierarchical computer displays
| Author: | Anthony Hornof University of Oregon |
|---|---|
| Date: | February 28, 2002 |
| Time: | 15:30 |
| Location: | 220 Deschutes |
Abstract
The ultimate promise for cognitive modeling in human-computer interaction is that it provides the science base needed for predictive interface analysis. Exploratory cognitive modeling must precede predictive modeling. The three goals of exploratory modeling include:
- Provide useful and human-interpretable explanations of human behavior.
- Provide guidance for predictive modeling regarding cognitive strategies and perceptual and motor processing used to accomplish tasks.
- Recommend refinements to cognitive architectures and modeling conventions.
This research presents empirically-validated exploratory cognitive models of the perceptual, cognitive, and motor processes that people use when they look for a target item on a computer screen layout that is organized with a visual hierarchy. In some layouts (labeled), each group of items has a heading that indicates if the target is in that group. In other layouts (unlabeled), there are no group headings. Unlabeled layout search times are explained rather well by a purely random search strategy, but best explained by a systematic-with-random-noise search strategy. Labeled layout search times are best explained by a highly streamlined two-tiered search, first of the labels, then within the target group.
This research builds upon and refines previous integrative visual search models, offers immediately useful and human-interpretable explanations of search behavior, makes specific recommendations for a priori predictive models, identifies necessary refinements to cognitive architectures currently used for visual search modeling, and demonstrates that cognitive modeling is a necessary component for predictive screen layout analysis tools.
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