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Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems pp 97–112Cite as

Cognitive Modelling: Experiences in Human-Computer Interaction

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Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASID,volume 83))

Abstract

This paper collates the experience of cognitive modelling in human-computer interaction into a view of why and how cognitive models should be constructed. Early promise that cognitive modelling would aid the design of computer interfaces has seen only minimal success. The view taken here is that cognitive modelling should be attempted only if the researcher’s primary objective is to increase understanding of user psychology. Practical applications may follow from an increased understanding, but this is not guaranteed.

If a cognitive model is to be constructed, then the researcher has the option of using one of a number of types of description. Two are illustrated with example models from the human-computer interaction literature. The first is a description of the competence, or knowledge, that a user brings to bear in order to perform a range of tasks. This is illustrated with a model called Task-Action Grammars (TAG; Payne and Green [39]). The second is a description of the learning mechanisms that people use in order to acquire knowledge of how to perform tasks. This is illustrated with a model called Ayn (Howes [16]).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Applied Psychology Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 2EF, UK

    Andrew Howes

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  1. Andrew Howes
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, DP-10, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    Timothy L. Nyerges

  2. National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 14261, USA

    David M. Mark

  3. Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes d’Information, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, F - 69621, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Robert Laurini

  4. National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Department of Spatial Information Science and Engineering, Department of Computer Science, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469-5711, USA

    Max J. Egenhofer

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© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Howes, A. (1995). Cognitive Modelling: Experiences in Human-Computer Interaction. In: Nyerges, T.L., Mark, D.M., Laurini, R., Egenhofer, M.J. (eds) Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems. NATO ASI Series, vol 83. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0103-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0103-5_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4049-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0103-5

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