ABSTRACT
Human-machine interaction depends on a two-way exchange of information between the operator and the system. Designers usually have detailed, explicit models of machines and machine behaviour that can be used to improve human-machine interaction. According to Preece (1993), a general model of the user’s cognitive processes and cognitive behaviour is also needed to
• Provide knowledge about what can and cannot be expected of users • Identify and explain the nature and causes of problems • Supply modelling tools to help build more compatible interfaces
According to Reason (1990), in broad terms, the human information processing system (HIP) can be thought of as
• A general-purpose pattern recogniser • With limited information processing capacity • Using heuristics (rules of thumb) to simplify the information processing load • And acting as a ‘satisficer’ rather than an optimiser
Satisficing refers to the tendency to seek pragmatic, rather than optimal, solutions to problems by trading-off the costs and benefits of alternative actions.
