PSYCHOLOGY:

MEMORY
Christian Paul Olegario
 Learning outcomes
• IDENTIFY SYSTEM DESIGN
• DESCRIBE THE PRINCIPLES OF
WEAKNESSES THAT RELATE TO
HUMAN MEMORY.
HUMAN MEMORY.
• IDENTIFY HOW MEMORY ISSUES
• CONDUCT AN ANALYSIS OF ACTUAL
RELATE THE USER-CENTRED SYSTEM
OR PROPOSED DESIGNS WITH
DESIGN (UCSD) PROCESS.
REGARD TO HUMAN MEMORY.

Liceria & Co.

 INTRODUCTION

Building a useful theory of the human user of information and communication

technology (ICT) is not easy. There have been a number of attempts to do so
which themselves, have not proved sufficient for the task.

Applied cognitive psychology also investigated practical implications of

human information processing. One model that is particularly relevant to ICT
is that of the Model Human Processor or (MHP).

Liceria & Co.

 MODEL HUMAN PROCESSOR

The MHP (Card, Moran and Newell 1983) theory seeks to

specify the information-processing demands on and users and
hence the information-processing parameters of supporting
systems.

THE AIM IS TO:

• Design systems that are compatible with their users.
• Evaluate existing systems and their variants.
• Make quantitative predictions about their issue

Liceria & Co.

PSYCHOLOGY MEMORY

The idea of a psychological theory is that it explains and

predicts human behaviour. A model is simply a way of
presenting such a theory so that we can make useful
predictions about human behaviour and thinking.

The use of psychological theory in HCI is, however, not

always simple and we will look at some of the issues
and attempts to deal with them.
 Freud and Psychoanalysis
Background
Psychology Psychology is popularly associated w
Sigmund Freud and with psychoanalysis.

He reminds us that the human mind needs

be considered in terms of emotion
motivations as well as cognition and ratio
thinking.
Behaviourism
IP Pavlov (1849-1936) and BF Skinner (1904-
1990) showed how association or reward could
condition human and animal behaviour.

Behaviourism has left a legacy of scientific rigour

and objectivity, although today internal factors are
given more attention.
Neuropsychology
Physically, the brain is made up of a network
of 10 billion interconnected brain cells called
neurons, which means that there are over 100
billion possible interconnections.

This approach implies that the complexity of

human behaviour can be derived in aprt from
the application of a set of simple rules.
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Material Self

Cognitive psychology builds upon the strengths of each of these approaches.

• Following Freud, it accepts the complexity of human cognition and the
need to consider a combination of cognition, emotions and motivation.
• Like behaviourism, it looks at stimulus (input) and response (output),
emphasising an objective and impartial sientific approach. It also seek to
explore the internal mechanisms that give rise to behaviour.
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Material Self

• An additional theme is that of artificial intelligence, which is based upon

early computer simulation work, seeking to understand human cognition
by building computer programs that appear to respond like people.
• Finally, phenomenology emphasises people’s subjective experienes and
seks to relate existingbehaviour and experience.
Thus. modern cognitive psychology has a wealth of research methods, types of
theory and objectives.
The Model Human Processor
The model human processor

The MHP, introduced earlier in this chapter, is the first

simplistic theory of human cognition. It aims to combine
current researcg knowledge with a simple approach that
can readily be applied to the solution of applied problems
Weaknesses

such as system design.

Working Memory Limits
MHP postulates a short-term memory with the following properties
to model a predict human performance.
• Short-term memory has a decay time of 10-20 seconds.
• Memory is maintained and increased with rehearsal.
• It can hold a small number of items, typically 7 or 2.
• The size of chunks appears to have only a small influence on
memory.
Long_term mempory
Long term memory (LTM) contrasts with short term or working memory, having strikingly different
properties and thus implying two distinct modules within the one system.
Such processes generate practical rules for system design, including
• Support reconition rather than recall
• Reduce working memory load
• Support the production of hunks of items to facilitate memory
• Frequent activities become ‘automatic’ and so dont require conscious attention
• For highky practised responses, requiring confimation of responses will not necessarily reduce
errors.
MHP, Broadbent’s Malteses Cross
and Simplex

MHP has led to a

number of more
advanced, simplistic
theories such as Simplex
that provide a even
better account of current
research
Simplex one postulates that there are five
components of human cognition.

• Input Store
• Abstract Working Memory
• Long Term associtive store or Long term memory
• Motor output store
• Executive functions or processing system
 This approach supports the design of interactive
systems as follows.
• An interactive system must provide suitability designed input to the user
(input store)
• A well designed system must support the user’s responses and allow them to
be made easily (motor output store)
• A system should not require an excessive amount of information to be
stored in working memory
• Finally, the system should support the executive or processing system by
ensuring that the tasks required by the system are not too complex to be
mastered and maintained.
 Alternative Theories
• Simplistic architectures, such as Broadbent’s Maltese Cross, capture an
overview of cognition but do not attempt to be complete
• MHP attempts to be cut-down, but still accurate, theory that both captues
current knowledge and guides current best practice.
• Theories such as SOAR (Newell 1990) and ICS (Interacting Cognitive
System) (Barnard 1985) take a prallel processing approach that attempt to
address the complexity of human cognition
• In addition, there are neural networks which aim to mimic the human brain
and provide a computer instantiation.
 Advancing Simplistic Theories

• Emotions and Drives

• Feedbak management
• Output programs (for complex, skilled responses)
• Cognitive modelling.
Each of the nine aspect of zone in the Simplex Two model
indicates an area where the designer needs to consider user needs.
They can also be used as a basis for developing situationally
specific design principles, known as heuristics.
Simplex Two is shown
in figure 7.3, the four
additional zones are
shown with dotted
lines.
Understanding Human Memory

For practically task you undertake, you will need to use

your memory to hold information. That information
guides and supports your mental activities, and human
memory is thus both important and complex.
Why should we try to understand it?

Here we are concerned not only with understanding

human abilities, but also with understanding
implications of such abilities for the creation of system
which are useful, usable and accesible. In particular, we
need to ensure that we do not overload the memory
capabilities of the people who use our systems.
How are we develop a sufficient understanding of the memory skills
of these people who use our system?

How do we cope with the evident complexity of human memory? for almost
any task, some memory resources are required. Our solution is to use a
simplistic theory (like simplex two) to set out the basic ground rules of human
memory that both research psychologists and interactive designers
Weaknessescan use.
 Memory to support perception

We are all owners of a remarkable perceptual

system. which in sensitive to faint stimulus
events yet also able to make sense of complex
perceptual event. Perception is associated with
sensory memory, which holds incoming inputs
while the system make sense of them.
Memory to support feedback (feedback management zone)

Simplex Two distinguishes between sensory input/ perception and

feedback. Designers have told us that this is an important distinction
for interactive system design.
• A person without any feedback memory would be unable to keep
track of where they are and what progress they had made in a
task.
• Remembering feedback will help a person to learn a task.
• Feedback provides a basis for new learning.
Working memory (abstract working zone)

The information required to perform a task comes from a number of

sources, including long-term memory and the external world. Working
memory is a potential bottleneck, and good designer will ensure theur
designs do not overload it. In contrast to long-term memory, working
Weaknesses

memory is limited in both capacity and duration.

Working memory (abstract working zone)

The information required to perform a task comes from a number of

sources, including long-term memory and the external world. Working
memory is a potential bottleneck, and good designer will ensure theur
designs do not overload it. In contrast to long-term memory, working
Weaknesses

memory is limited in both capacity and duration.

Emotions and Drives

There is growing evidence that our moods influence our ability to learn
and retain information. It is also evident that the emotional status of
items may influence their memorability. A poor design may be
unpleasant to use or ignore the nature of the items involved.
Weaknesses

For example, consider online banking when it is necessary to check the

balance in an account or to query a transaction.
 Long-term data warehouse (long-term memory or associative
store)

Any interactive system design assumes that users will have access to a
lot of information, either in long-term memory in the environment.
Clearly, a good design will not require users to hold too much
Weaknesses
information in long-term memory.
 Cognitive model construction
There is considerable evidence that people construct
mental models when using a complex system or
attempting a difficult task. For example, Most people
who live in London have either a paper map of the
london underground train system or have developed a
mental model of it over time and through repeated
use.
 Output responses (output zone and output program zone)

Simplex Two distinguishes between simple responses and

complex response sequences.
Interactive systems require responses from the people who use
them. People need to remember the responses they have already
made as well as those they intend to make next. This applies
both to simple responses and the more complex sequences or
responses that experienced users learn when using application.
 Executive functions
Although the above components of memory are all
important to user performance, they will ne of little
impact if they are not organised and integrated. These
are executive functions, which transfer information
between other zones and provide the overall task
organization and management.
Memory is important for the executive
function in at least two ways. It must;
• Retain long-term information about task
requirements.
• Hold short-term information about its
progress in the task.
A good designer will ensure that a system
design does not produce so much complex that
the executive cannot cope with it.
THANKS FOR
YOUR
ATTENTION