Mental Models What are the components of a model How can we elicit a mental model How do mental models influence web use QuickTime and a Photo JPEG decompressor are needed to see this picture What are the components What do you think 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Mental models and web use A good site Amazon com music A bad site Homegrocer com
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