Cognitive Rules
The Paradigm of Human Memory
Elizabeth F. Churchill
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B.Sc. In experimental psychology
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M.S in Knowledge based systems
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University of Sussex
University of Sussex
PhD in Cognitive Science -1988
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University of Cambridge
• Conducted research on SOAR
SOAR
• Cognitive architecture
• Goal was to create a system with the same cognitive abilities as humans
• Created by John, Laird, Allen Newell, and Paul Rosenbloom at Carnegie
Mellon university
• Currently managed by John Laird’s research group at the University of
Michigan
Nate Derbinsky Discussing SOAR Architecture
A site for SOAR Eyes
• Dr. Churchill was creating mental models in a laboratory setting
• Intrigued by DR. King’s research method – best site of study was where
the activity was
• Contrasted Dr. Beach’s field study with her own form of laboratory
experimentation
• Came away feeling that “Cognition becomes inextricably linked to place –
physically, perceptually, culturally, and theoretically”
• Believes that attention, learning, and memory are integral to today’s
design decisions
King D. Beach III
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Ph.D. developmental psychology
Previously an Associate professor –
MSU
Currently Associate professor - FSU
Background in cultural anthropology
Interested in how people learn and
develop with changing forms of
social organizations
Activity Theory
• Philosophical framework to help understand the human developmental1
process at the individual and social level
• Helps us understand Why people perform activities
• Originally developed by Russian Psychologist Aleksei Leontiev
• Activities as purposeful interactions between people and objects
• Helps us understand the changing nature of external mnemonic cues
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Kaptelinin, 2012
Activity theory concepts
• Mediation
– Human activity mediated by external and internal tools(Drink glasses)
with a particular history and culture
• Internalization/Externalization
– Recollection/analysis/calculation of activity through transforming
outward activities to internal ones.
• Ex: Mental calculations, simulations, reciting drink ingredients
• Can help us find the best way to perform an action before doing it
– Externalization transitions internal activities to external ones
Question
Why is the activity theory important as a
concept in HCI research?
Becoming a Bartender
• Experimental science conducted by Dr. Beach in order to
study memory.
• Specifically, how people remember the ingredients of
complex cocktails and mix them together in a busy, time
sensitive environment
• Dr. Beach enrolled in a 2 week bartending course to conduct
the study
• Discussed Mnemonic cues as aids to recollection
Bartending School
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2 week course for ages 18 and over
Formal lecture demonstrations and practice
22 to 30 students
4 hour class – 1 hour lecture, 3 hour practice
Graduates expected to be able to mix any combination of 100
different mixed drinks rapidly and accurately & from memory
» San Francisco School of Bartending
Mnemonic Cues
• Two types of mnemonic cues discussed
– Verbal mnemonic symbols– words used to aid recollection
– Have an arbitrary relation to their referents
• Example: reciting recipe ingredients while making drinks
– Material mnemonic symbols – based on environment and context
– Direct relationship to their referents
• Example: using visually distinctive glasses and visible ingredients
Question
What Form of Memory Cues are more helpful to
you in aiding recollection?
Experimental Study
• On site experiments and interviews in addition to qualitative observations
• Purpose was to measure differences in speed and accuracy disparities
from novice to pro bartenders, as well as the use of memory cues
• 10 novices, 10 recent grads and 2 instructors/professionals volunteered
• Study was videotaped
• Experiment devised around speed drills
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Mixing a combination of 4 drinks quickly and accurately
Each subject completes 6 speed drills
Each order called for at least 2 different glass shapes
Clear bar glasses were used at first, then black glasses to hide drinks
Distractions were used during second and third drills
Findings
• The use of VMS sharply decreased with increasing experience
• Graduates and instructors were faster and more accurate than novices
with detecting and pouring ingredients
• Distractions like counting backwards increased drink errors only for
novices
• MMS was helpful with making drinks for grads, not as much for pro’s
• As VMS transitioned to MMS and beyond, there was a “shift in internally
driven recall to mediated recognition”1
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1 – Churchill, 2008
Question
What method of study is more effective? Field
investigations or Laboratory study?
Question
Is DR. Beach’s assessment of activity theory – of
transitioning from VMS to MMS - relevant
today?
Adam M. Fass
• B.S Computer Science
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State University of New York at Buffalo – 1998
• Ph.D in Computer Science
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Carnegie Mellon University – 2005
Ph.D advised by Randy Pausch
Ph.D dissertation - MessyBoard: Lowering the
Cost of Communication and Making it More
Enjoyable
Software Engineer at Google
Jodi Forlizzi
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BFA, Illustration
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MDes, Interaction Design
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Carnegie Mellon University
Advisors – Sara Kiesler and Pamela J. Hinds
Tenured Associate Professor
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Carnegie Mellon University
Ph.D., Design in Human Computer Interaction
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Philadelphia College of Art
HCI Institute & School of design – Carnegie Mellon University
Previously held the position of Innovator and Project
Manager for E-Lab in Chicago, where she specialized
in research for new product design.
Randy Pausch
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Born October 23, 1960 in Baltimore, MD
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Grew up in Columbia, MD
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Died July 25, 2008 in Chesapeake, Virginia
(Pancreatic Cancer)
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B.S, Computer Science
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Ph.D., Computer Science
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Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
Time 100 most influential – May 2008
Known worldwide for the “Alice” Software Project
as well as the “Last Lecture”
The Last Lecture - Alice
“Don’t complain; just work harder.”
MessyDesk & MessyBoard
• Two different programs designed by
researchers with the initial goal of improving
human memory for information that a user
views or works with on a computer
Messy Motivations
• Currently, computers do not provide usable context to help
the user recall relevant information
• Ex: Presenting the user with the same environment and
surroundings that existed when the information was first
consumed
• Researchers believed the best context to aid memory needed
distinction, be meaningfully related, and be user created.
• Present the user with the chance to create context
MessyDesk
• Purpose was to build a computer with context
• Software program that makes use of the desktop for decoration and
information management, acts as a replacement desktop
• Can drag an image from any app onto the desktop, or post from clipboard,
can also add notes
• Used by researchers at Carnegie Mellon and UVA
MessyDesk Findings
• Initially very hard to get anyone, even researchers to use this
• Only those with multiple monitors would use this
• Decorating alone is not a strong enough incentive to create memory
assisting context
• Artists thought it was cool to decorate, grad students failed to see the
usefulness
Question
What could the researchers have done to
increase the incentive to decorate?
MessyBoard
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Created because decoration is not a strong enough incentive
Networked bulletin board used for sharing pics, files, etc.
People see the same content at the same time, changes seen in real time
Stores a complete history of all activity, can slide back in time
Believed with communication as incentive, Messyboard could enhance
memory
MessyBoard Findings
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Different teams used MessyBoard differently
Projecting content on the wall affected interest and use
Was good for simple games and sharing jokes
Good for discussion and collaboration – Scheduling meetings
Messy Memory
• Interviewed users to see how they used the software
• Would people use content and the history slider to cue memory?
• Believed shared information management along with decoration
encourages memory
• Neither MessyDesk or MessyBoard were formally tested to gauge
measureable effect on memory
Question
Do we really need to think about supplementing
memory when designing interfaces?
Question
Were the Messy Applications a good approach
as a memory aid?
Question
Did the applications succeed in opening up new
or exciting areas of future research?
Thanks!