1. Cognitive Psychology

Presence of cognitive psychology is ubiquitous. It’s not stuck on a specific person or a society or even a community. We can use it to scale of human behavior based on their interaction. (Shingleton, 2011) In this digitalization age, designers must focus more on user’s capabilities and limitations.

1.1 Processes of Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is driven into several processes which are going to describe below. Along with description of these processes, implement these processes on a solution for IxD will be discussed. Important note is that some processes are also interdependent.

Before understanding cognitive psychology we need to clarify what is cognition Latin word ‘Cognoscere’ means ‘to know’. Cognition states what happened in our brain based on our daily activities. Experiential cognition (driving car or book reading) such as human acts or reacts to nearby things and Reflective cognition (writing or learning) includes thinking, choice creation and comparing etc.

1.1.1 Attention

Attention means selecting or focusing things to concentrate while ignoring the others stimuli surrounding us. Pursuant to the famous psychologist Williams James, in flawless and vivid form, something is possession like simulation of possibilities about objects or incidents in our imagination by withdrawing focuses form other impulses. (James, 1890)

An according to Prof. Lawrence M. Ward, Attention reflects three aspects; oriented, filter and search and these can emphasis either divided or particular information source. (Ward, 2008) It can also be categorized into different types such as selective (trying to listen partner in a loud concert), alternative (reads a recipe instructions (learning) and then go for implementation (doing)), sustained (continuously focusing of something for prolonged time like painting) and divided (texting others while spending time with somebody) attention. (Mazarin, 2017)

In IxD, attention plays an important role. Users are generally used to multiple tasks at a time, so it’s very difficult to retain the user attention on one object. Their attention continuously might be changing one to others. So, attention is an important fact while making solution for an interaction design.

Finally, in the scenario, considering the user limitations, to focus attention, auditory and visual can be applied. In prototype screen will visualize the temperature, scheduling characteristics, animation graphics, and highlighted vision (visual attention) and when the system goes off or on, it will make some noise (auditory attention).

1.1.2 Memory

The most advanced aspect of cognitive psychology is memory. Study of memory (in limbic system) focuses how memories are taught, kept and reclaimed. For example, a person is searching everywhere for a gold medal which is won many years before in a competition. This medal remainders his exultant jiffies and his deceased mother who insist to participate. He seen it 2days before but now he cannot recall where the medal is. However, our memory works in 3 phases such as Encoding, Storage and finally Retrieval stage.

There are different types of memory models evoked. “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 of gen or information) 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. Sensory memory has a very tinny chunk of a time period for availability of information while in STM and WM, information or fact is available nearby seconds to minutes after they first encountered.

On the other hand, in LTM, fact or information or gen is obtainable from accessible period to minutes to eons.”

Try to remember these - 0 5 1 2 1 9 8 6

Other way to remember these – 05 / 12 / 1986

- Here, 2^nd numbers is more organized and can easy to memories than 1^st numbers.

For example, Someone in hurry to go out (context or fact) and wants to rescheduling thermostat for 7days, user might not recall the temperature of a specific day of last week. User might fed up and leave it as it is. On the other hand, if user might get some tips or suggestion that it was sunny day and you (User) set the temperature near 15-23 degree on that specific day (recognition), he/she can easily organize the task.

So, designer of an IxD should continue with some assistance for the solution use so that user can easily remember things as what they actually want to solve.

As in scenario, smart thermostat might have sensor and whether forecast information by which it calculate the real-time inside and outside temperate and provide a feedback to user whether it too cold or too hot so that user can recognize he/she need to change temperate status.

1.1.3 Perception

We recognize our favored foodstuff by the way it looks, music by the singer voice or orange by its shape, color and aroma. Recognition and clarification of sensory memory (sound or aroma) is a part of perception and also embrace our react to the gen or information.

Figure 14: Perception example (study.com, 2017)

According to Dr. Andre Szameitat, by perception process, our cognitive system fabricates an inner illustration of outdoor world. (Szameitat, 2017) Perception is collection, assimilation or interpretation of raw data with our senses (auditory, visual, somatosensory), organs (eyes, nose, ears, touch) and processing unit (motion or form) where data are alter or transform with cognitive intelligent to a cabalistic or coherent form or percepts. Perception can be vary depends on his/her perception.

Figure 15: Perception Example (Reyes, 2015)

As tangled process, perception covers other progression of cognitive such as attention and memory process too. Here some theory works behind the perception such as Top-Down and Bottom-Up, Template, Component recognition and Feature-Matching theories etc.

In IxD, perception is also imperative fact. Though different user has dissimilar perspective of same thing (figure-15) and similar components of matching design might construct confusion. Using the Gestalt laws, our perception phenomenon converts more cabbalistic.

Figure 16: Gestalt Laws (tinker, 2017)

In the scenario of this coursework, perception process has also a vital role. For example, user X set the thermostat temperature Celsius or Fahrenheit but other user Y who set the temperate Celsius before, he/she might confuse when see the temperature if there has no sign of temperature state.

1.1.4 Learning

Better way of developing or improving our responds is learning phenomenon. Learning is a process by which we can absorb novel or renovate our present behavior, knowledge, ethics, ability or preferences. (wikipedia, 2018)

Learn by doing is most effective way of learning. Learning process used to acquire healthier understanding through implicit learning (ride bicycle, swimming practice) or explicit learning (experience). (wikipedia, 2017)

Figure 22: Learning Theories (Atherton, 2014)

In IxD, using learning process, it helps to user to make experienced. For example, after creating a new FB Ads account, it shows a short tour to assist us for getting their experiences.

Figure 23: Facebook Ads account tour guide for learning

In IxD, providing short-tour experiences rather than user manual (also helpful) where user will acquire the actual experience and make them easier to understand multifaceted belongings. As scenario, user might get short-tour experiences when they are using thermostat for the first time. They might have a guide tour on how to schedule the temperature.

Figure 24: Learning Experience (techgearlab)

Note: There has some motion on + gray line.

1.1.5 Reading, Speaking and Listening

As lecture 10 of Human Computer Interaction from virtual university of Pakistan, Reading (faster than others), speaking (problematic to understand) and listening (less efforts) are form of language processing where human can draw some different or unique interaction or communication depends on their perspective, task or context. (Virtual University of Pakistan, 2014)

Numerous apps have been industrialized to boost our language processing skills such as speech-recognition (spoken instructions – Google voice or Siri), speech-output (AI produce speech - text-to-speech) or natural-language system (Ask search).

Figure 25: Speaking in cognition

In IxD, designers get assistances to provide schooling about application to user where text color, font size, background color etc. should be visible to user. In additionally, using audio or search should have some concern.

As scenario, detail information need to defilade under meaningful icons, search icons and auditory icons etc. in which user will welcome with a brief appear text (tips) depends on their interaction.

1.1.6 Problem Solving, Reasoning and Decision Making

Involving reflective cognition, this process construct 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 inexperienced task by implementing own knowledge. After generating multiple answer then it’s essential to make decision.

Figure 18: Problem Solving, Reasoning and Decision Making

In IxD, UI is important, if user feels uncomfortable to interact with it then the design will consider as failed. As the scenario, thermostat App must carried appropriate amount of tips, suggestions and appropriable tutoring like web searching so that user can easily resolve any problem if arise.

1.2 Cognitive Models

Cognitive models are the approach of achieving knowledge practicing process of cognitive.

Here some synopsis of cognitive model are illustrate below –

1.2.1 Mental Model

Mental model is a concept, worldview or framework that accomplishes inside our mind and helps us to understand how something performs, relation between things, generate assumption and unconsciously influence our attitude, thoughts, feeling, behavior or judgment. Famous philosopher, Charles Sanders Peirce postulated that mental model is psychological illustration of substantive view, suppositional or any fictitious situations.

Figure 20: Example Mental Model (Salian, 2011)

“Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.” – Peter M. Senge.

Our mental model works with the previous knowledge and understanding. Mental model helps us to make decision based on our knowledge while interact with anything and helps to manage any surprising situation.

For example, it is icy blizzard winter night, Mr. X just arrives from a trip and they have a baby. So Mr. X will do change the thermostat temperature as the desired state so that the house gets warm faster than as it is.

As IxD perspective, mental model is an artifact of belief and in Interaction Design, helps to learn the about mental model so that designer can understand user mental model while developing solution for them. Using the common and understandable metaphor, user can easily catch in mind and execute it. So basic and common artifacts, need be used while designing any interaction solution.

1.2.2 Theory of Action

Theory of action defines the prediction sets based on the current situation. It also defines the interaction type in our daily life. We encounter a lot of interaction every day in order to have some output. Moreover, the way human interacts with any task, in that way they will get the responds. In two ways, approach of this theory can be describe –

Figure 21: Bridging the Gulfs

Gulf of Execution – It outlines the breach between 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 describe the system responses like difficulties of the system while user make an interaction to the system. In IxD, this evaluation assists to encounter those difficulties and prepare the system more reliable.

1.2.3 External Cognition

External cognition is mainly mentions the interaction between interior and exterior illustration of information and how the information are manipulating to a human inner mind. It basically defines our inner intellectual capability and interaction with the surrounding information.

External cognition 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). (zeepedia, n.d.)

Figure 22: Street sign

For example, someone have to go from one place to another place. He has car with him. But he doesn’t know or forgot the actual direction of the desire location. It can increase mental pressure for him because he needs to go hurry. On the other hand, if there has any street sign/metaphor or option for using Google map can reduce the mental pressure and help him to reach the destination.