Module 3: Human FactorsHumans are complicated. Computers, by comparison, are simple

complicated, simple

Humans are _____. Computers, by comparison, are ____

Newell’s

____ Time Scale of Human Action is a descriptive model of the human

Time Scale of Human Action

It delineates the problem space by positioning different types of human actions in timeframes within which the actions occur

biological, cognitive, rational, social, three

The model has four bands, a ____ band, a _____ band, a _____ band, and a ____ band. Each band is divided into ____ levels

time

The most common dependent variable in experimental research in HCI is ____ — the ____ for a user to do a task

cognitive band

Research on selection techniques, menu design, force or auditory feedback, text entry, gestural input, and so on, is within the _____.

Rational Band

Research topics here include web navigation, user search strategies, user-centered design, collaborative computing, ubiquitous computing, social navigation, and situated awareness. Tasks related to these research areas occupy users for minutes or hours.

Social Band

Tasks lasting days, weeks, or months are in the _____. HCI topics here might include workplace habits, groupware usage patterns, social networking, online dating, privacy, media spaces, user styles and preferences, design theory, and so on.

sensors and displays, responders and controls

The human monitors the state of the computer through ____ and _____ and controls the state of the computer through ____ and _____.

interaction

The dashed vertical line is important since it is at the interface where _____ takes place.

vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch

The five classical human senses are ___, ____, ____, ____, and _____

electrical nerve signals

One feature the senses share is the reception and conversion into ______ of physical phenomena such as sound waves, light rays, flavors, odors, and physical contact.

brain

The signals are transmitted to the ___ for processing

physiological

Sensory stimuli and sense organs are purely _____

Vision, sight

_____, or ____, is the human ability to receive information from the environment in the form of visible light perceived by the eye

80 percent

The visual sensory channel is hugely important, as most people obtain about _____ of their information though the sense of light

lens, retina

The act of seeing begins with the reception of light through the eye’s ____. The ___ focuses the light into an image projected on to the _____ at the back of the eye

transducer

The retina is a _____, converting visible light into neurological signals sent to the brain via the optic nerve

Cornea

The transparent outer layer that bends light into the eye.

cornea

If the screen brightness is too high, the ____ still allows all the light in, potentially causing discomfort

Pupil

The black circular opening in the center of the eye

Pupil

Expands or contracts to control the amount of light entering the eye

pupil

If a website suddenly shifts from a dark mode to a bright white screen, your ____reacts quickly to adjust

Iris

The colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil.

Iris

Regulates the pupil’s size to adjust for different lighting conditions

Iris

Apps that adapt brightness based on ambient light help users avoid eye strain (e.g., night mode on smartphones)

Lens

A transparent, flexible structure that fine-tunes focus by changing shape

Lens

Helps us see objects clearly at different distances (accommodation)

lens

When looking at small text on a smartphone, the ___ helps focus, but if text is too small, it can strain the eyes

Retina

A layer at the back of the eye containing photoreceptor cells

Retina

Converts light into electrical signals that go to the brain

Rods

Detect low light and motion, but no color

Cones

Detect color and fine details (red, green, and blue cones)

retina

If a UI has low contrast (e.g., light gray text on a white background), the ____ struggles to distinguish elements clearly

Optic Nerve

A bundle of nerve fibers that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain

brain

The ___ processes this data to form a meaningful image

brain

When using facial recognition software, the ____ must quickly interpret the scanned image and match it to a stored one

Fovea

A small, central part of the retina with a high concentration of cones

Fovea

Important UI elements, like buttons and text, should be in areas where users naturally focus, ensuring clarity and usability

Frequency

____ is the property of light leading to the perception of color

Visible light

____ is a small band in the electromagnetic spectrum, which ranges from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays

violet, red

Different colors are positioned within the visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves, with ____ at one end (390 nanometers)and ____ at the other (750 nm).

brightness

With luminance comes _____, a subjective property of the eye that includes perception by the brain.

luminance

The unit for ____ is candela per square meter (cd/m2)

luminance

Related to intensity is _____ which refers to the amount of light passing through a given area

Visual angle

_____ is affected by both the size of the object and its distance from the eye.

hue, intensity, saturation

Color is usually regarded as being made up of three components: ___, _____ and _____.

Hue, blue, green, red

____ is determined by the spectral wavelength of the light. ___ have short wavelengths, ___ medium and ____ long.

150

Approximately ___ different hues can be discriminated by the average person

Intensity, saturation, 7 million

____ is the brightness of the color, and ____ is the amount of whiteness in the color. By varying these two, we can perceive in the region of____ different colors

Visual processing

______ involves the transformation and interpretation of a complete image, from the light that is thrown onto the retina

fixations and saccades

Through the eyes, humans look at and perceive the environment. In doing so, the eyes engage in two primitive actions: _____ and ______

fixation

During a _____, the eyes are stationary, taking in visual detail from the environment.

saccade

Changing the point of fixation to a new location requires a ____— a rapid repositioning of the eyes to a new position

scanpath

A _____ is the pattern of eye movements (fixations and saccades) that a person makes when looking at an advertisement, website, or any visual content.

scanpath analysis

Advertisers use _____ to understand how people visually process ads and optimize design for maximum impact