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Mental Models

Mental Models. What are the components of a model How can we elicit a mental model How do mental models influence web use?. What are the components?. What do you think?. What are the components?. Objects and relations Conceptual/Causal connections Perceptual schemas

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Mental Models

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  1. Mental Models • What are the components of a model • How can we elicit a mental model • How do mental models influence web use?

  2. What are the components? What do you think?

  3. What are the components? • Objects and relations • Conceptual/Causal connections • Perceptual schemas • What do things look/feel like? • Where do I look? • Scripts • What do I do in this situation? • How does this fulfill my goals?

  4. Eliciting a mental model • Mental models need to be explored in stages • No single method is going to work perfectly • Methods must address each of the components • Studies should be done both with experts and novices • Make sure to include the typical user in this process

  5. Eliciting conceptual information • Start with protocol studies • Protocols are think-aloud situations • Concurrent protocols are best • Verbal protocols • Drawings • Gestures may reveal non-verbalizable aspects of thought • Have people describe typical interactions in domain • How do you shop for a particular type of item

  6. Conceptual information • Once a set of basic concepts is established, more detailed analyses can be done. • Sorting tasks may reveal which aspects of a domain cluster together • From these clusters, conceptual relations can be established • Domain experts may be helpful here. • Be careful not to do a Rorschach test here… • We can often find patterns in noise

  7. Do not stop here • Most people stop with a conceptual description • This is particularly dangerous in usability • We are replacing “embodied” experiences with virtual experiences • What aspects of the embodied experience was important? • Do not assume that only the information being transmitted is important.

  8. The importance of the world • People use the world to help them think • Situated cognition/Embodied cognition • The world as memory • We may remember locations rather than items • The world reminds us of goals to be satisfied • Web design must reflect the way we want to interact with situations • The world suggests action patterns

  9. Scripts • Schank and colleagues • We have scripts for familiar actions • Going to the store • These scripts are activated during web interactions • Web site design should be compatible with our scripts • We must follow people while navigating a site to understand their expectations • They will also develop scripts for types of sites

  10. Mental models and web use • A good site • Amazon.com music • A bad site • Homegrocer.com

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