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Modelling user performance in visually based interactions.
Authors:
May, J., Tweedie, L. & Barnard, P.J.
Reference:
In J.L. Alty, D. Diaper & S.P. Guest (Eds.), People and Computers VIII: Proceedings of the HCI '93 Conference (pp. 95-110). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Year of publication:
1993
CBU number:
2966
Abstract:
This paper outlines a general technique for analysing user performance in visually based interactions. Such interactions are modelled as an evaluation process in which the user compares the visual structure of an object with an internally-generated propositional representation of the target. The content and structure of this propositional representation is dependent upon the context within which the target has been learnt and searched for previously. An experiment is described which tests the model against icon sets with different visual structures, and by keeping one set of icons constant but changing the context within which they are presented. The results provide general support for the technique, with icon search times being affected both by the number of icons which contain the 'psychological subject' of the target icon, and by the depth to which the propositional representations must be evaluated before icons can be rejected or accepted as the target.
