CS 6750 Fundamentals

Master 50+ essential HCI concepts with interactive flashcards

What You'll Learn

Master Human-Computer Interaction concepts with free interactive flashcards. Learn about the Gulf of Execution, Gulf of Evaluation, feedback cycles, direct manipulation, and interface design principles. Perfect for UX designers and HCI students.

Key Topics

  • Feedback cycles and user interaction models
  • Gulf of Execution and Evaluation frameworks
  • Interface design principles (discoverability, consistency, feedforward)
  • Direct manipulation and feedback types
  • Research ethics and informed consent

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How to study this deck

Start with a quick skim of the questions, then launch study mode to flip cards until you can answer each prompt without hesitation. Revisit tricky cards using shuffle or reverse order, and schedule a follow-up review within 48 hours to reinforce retention.

Preview: CS 6750 Fundamentals

Question

What is the Processor Model of the user?

Answer

Treats the user as an input/output machine. Focuses only on observable behavior (not cognition). Evaluated with quantitative experiments. Rooted in Behaviorism.

Question

What is the Predictor Model of the user?

Answer

Cares about the user's knowledge, expectations, and thought process. We want to understand what the user predicts will happen. Evaluated with qualitative studies. Rooted in Cognitivism.

Question

What is the Participant Model of the user?

Answer

Views the user and interface as participants in a broader environment/activity/system. Evaluates interaction in context (in situ). Rooted in Functionalism/Systems Psychology.

Question

Which psychology school maps to the Processor Model?

Answer

Behaviorism — focuses only on observable behavior, not internal cognition. Key figures: Watson, Pavlov, Skinner.

Question

Which psychology school maps to the Predictor Model?

Answer

Cognitivism — focuses on what goes on inside the mind (perception, memory, expectations). Key figures: Chomsky, Newell, Simon.

Question

Which psychology school maps to the Participant Model?

Answer

Functionalism / Systems Psychology — examines behavior in the context of broader environments and complex systems. Key HCI figures: Hutchins (distributed cognition), Suchman (situated action), Nardi (activity theory).

Question

How do the three models of the user complement each other?

Answer

Processor is good for objective comparisons but ignores novice thinking. Predictor targets novice understanding but is hard to analyze objectively. Participant captures real-world context but introduces uncontrollable variables. Use all three at different stages of design.

Question

What is the Gulf of Execution?

Answer

The distance between the user's goals and the actions required to realize those goals. How hard is it to figure out how to do what you want?

Question

What are the three stages of the Gulf of Execution?

Answer

1) Identify the goal in the context of the system. 2) Identify the actions needed to accomplish the goal. 3) Execute those actions within the interface.

Question

What is the Gulf of Evaluation?

Answer

The distance between the effects of the user's actions and the user's understanding of those results. How hard is it to tell if what you did worked?

Question

What are the three stages of the Gulf of Evaluation?

Answer

1) Perceive the output from the system. 2) Interpret the meaning of that output. 3) Evaluate whether the interpretation means your goals were accomplished.

Question

What is the difference between Feedback and Feedforward?

Answer

Feedback is a response to something the user already did. Feedforward is information about what will happen if the user continues or completes an action (e.g., a preview or loading icon appearing as you pull down to refresh).

Question

Name five tips for bridging the Gulf of Execution.

Answer

1) Make functions discoverable. 2) Let the user mess around safely (undo-able actions). 3) Be consistent with other tools. 4) Know your user (novice vs. expert needs). 5) Use feedforward.

Question

Name five tips for bridging the Gulf of Evaluation.

Answer

1) Give feedback constantly. 2) Give feedback immediately. 3) Match feedback to the user's level of understanding. 4) Leverage direct manipulation. 5) Use multisensory feedback.

Question

What are Norman's Seven Stages of Action?

Answer

1) Goal (What do I want to accomplish?) 2) Plan (What are the alternatives?) 3) Specify (What can I do?) 4) Perform (How do I do it?) 5) Perceive (What happened?) 6) Interpret (What does it mean?) 7) Compare (Is this okay? Did I accomplish my goal?) *GPS: Put Phone In Car*

Question

What are Norman's Seven Fundamental Design Principles?

Answer

1) Discoverability. 2) Feedback. 3) Conceptual Model. 4) Affordances. 5) Signifiers. 6) Mappings. 7) Constraints. *Dogs Fetch Cats And Sometimes Maybe Chipmunks*

Question

What are the three levels of processing (Norman)?

Answer

Visceral — instinctive, fast, subconscious reactions (lizard brain). Behavioral — subconscious learned actions and expectations. Reflective — conscious thought, reasoning, and decision-making. Design must address all three levels.

Question

What is User-Centered Design (UCD)?

Answer

Design that considers the user's needs throughout the entire design process. Recognizes that we don't inherently know the user's needs, so we must involve users at every stage — needfinding, prototyping, and evaluation.

Question

What are the four phases of the Design Life Cycle?

Answer

1) Needfinding — understand users and tasks. 2) Design Alternatives — brainstorm multiple approaches. 3) Prototyping — build testable versions. 4) Evaluation — test with real users. Then repeat iteratively.

Question

What is qualitative data?

Answer

Non-numeric data: descriptions, observations, interview transcripts, open-ended survey responses. Provides the 'how' and 'why.' Richer but more prone to bias and harder to analyze formally.

Question

What is quantitative data?

Answer

Numeric data: measurements, counts, ratings, times. Provides the 'what.' Allows statistical tests and objective comparisons but captures a narrower view.

Question

What is a mixed-method approach?

Answer

Using both qualitative and quantitative data together to paint a more complete picture of results.

Question

What is coding (in research methods)?

Answer

The process of converting qualitative data into quantitative data by categorizing it into numeric categories (e.g., counting how many survey respondents mention a specific theme). Not programming — research methodology.

Question

What are the four types of quantitative data?

Answer

Nominal (categories, no order), Ordinal (ranked order, unequal intervals), Interval (equal intervals, no true zero), Ratio (equal intervals, true zero).

Question

Why do we need research ethics / IRB?

Answer

To protect participants' rights AND to ensure the data gathered is useful and unbiased. If research isn't sound, even small risks outweigh nonexistent benefits.

Question

What historical events led to the creation of IRBs?

Answer

Unethical studies like Milgram's obedience experiment, the Tuskegee syphilis study, and the Stanford prison experiment → National Research Act of 1974 → creation of IRBs → the Belmont Report.

Question

What are the key principles of the Belmont Report?

Answer

1) Benefits to society must outweigh risks to subjects. 2) Subjects must be selected fairly. 3) Rigorous informed consent is required.

Question

What are the components of informed consent?

Answer

'Informed' = Disclosure + Comprehension. 'Consent' = Voluntariness + Competence + Agreement. Consent should be ongoing — participants can withdraw at any time.

Question

What are the six main elements of an IRB protocol?

Answer

1) Study description (goals, benefits, risks). 2) Personnel (all CITI-certified). 3) Recruitment procedures. 4) Consent procedures. 5) Study procedures. 6) Data retention procedures.

Question

Why was the Facebook Emotional Contagion Study controversial?

Answer

Facebook manipulated users' news feeds to test emotional contagion without explicit informed consent. Users weren't notified a study was happening, couldn't opt out specifically, and the terms of service arguably don't constitute true informed consent. Raises questions about industry research ethics.

Question

How do ethics rules differ between academia and industry?

Answer

Universities receiving federal funding must follow the Belmont Report and get IRB approval. Private companies are not legally required to, though some (like Facebook) have created internal review processes. International equivalents: TCPS 2 (Canada), GDPR (EU), Declaration of Helsinki.

Question

What is needfinding?

Answer

Gathering a comprehensive understanding of the user's task, context, and needs before beginning to design. Methods include surveys, interviews, naturalistic observation, think-aloud protocols, apprenticeship, and heuristic evaluation of existing interfaces.

Question

What is the key idea behind needfinding?

Answer

You don't know the user's needs — you have to go find out. Don't assume you understand the user without actually involving them.

Question

What is the Design Model vs. User's Model vs. System Image? (Norman)

Answer

Design Model = the designer's conceptual model of the system. User's Model = the mental model the user constructs. System Image = the physical product (interface, docs, etc.) from which users form their model. The user never sees the Design Model directly — only the System Image.

Question

What is the difference between an Affordance and a Signifier?

Answer

Affordance = what actions are actually possible (a button affords pushing). Signifier = a signal that communicates where the action should take place or what is possible (a label on the button). Signifiers communicate affordances.

Question

What is Learned Helplessness (in design)?

Answer

When users blame themselves for failures caused by bad design. They think 'I'm being stupid' rather than recognizing that the interface is poorly designed.

Question

What is a Conceptual Model?

Answer

An explanation, usually simplified, of how something works. Good design projects the information needed to create a good conceptual model, leading to understanding and a feeling of control.

Question

What are common survey biases? (Muller et al.)

Answer

Acquiescence bias (tendency to agree), Social desirability bias (answering to look good), Response order bias (favoring first/last options), Satisficing (choosing 'good enough' answers without thought).

Question

What types of survey questions should be avoided? (Muller et al.)

Answer

Broad questions, leading questions, double-barreled questions (asking two things at once), recall questions (remembering distant past), prediction questions (future behavior), and hypothetical questions.

Question

What is Value Sensitive Design? (Friedman et al.)

Answer

An approach that accounts for human values throughout the design process using three types of investigations: conceptual (philosophically analyzing values), empirical (studying stakeholders), and technical (analyzing technology properties). Distinguishes direct and indirect stakeholders.

Question

What is the difference between direct and indirect stakeholders?

Answer

Direct stakeholders interact directly with the system. Indirect stakeholders are affected by the system's use but don't interact with it directly (e.g., patients affected by a medical records system designed for doctors).