The power of cognitive psychology lies in the promise of cognitive technology.
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The power of cognitive psychology lies in the promise of cognitive technology.
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Abstracts - Spring 2004
THEORETICAL AND RESEARCH ARTICLES 4. Beyond the Memory Recall: Why dissociations among memory measures may prove useful to ergonomics Patrice Terrier, Ph.D., and Jean-Marie Cellier, Ph.D. 14. Specifying User’s Knowledge – A Cognitive Ergonomic View on Designing I Information Technology Gerrit C. van der Veer, Ph.D. and Mari Carmen Puerta Melguizo, Ph.D. 25. Effectiveness of CD-ROM Memory Training as a Function of Within-Session Autonomy Jane S. Saczynski, Ph.D., George W. Rebok, Ph.D., Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D. and Dana J. Plude, Ph.D. 33. A Cognitive Learning Principle Derived from the Role Acquisition Strategies of Professional Actors Tony Noice, Ph.D. and Helga Noice, Ph.D. Brian M. Friel, M.S. and Richard Jackson Harris, Ph.D.
Beyond the Memory Recall: Why dissociations among memory measures may prove useful to ergonomics Patrice Terrier, Ph.D. A distinction has now sufficiently entrenched the field of memory research that entire books were devoted to it: the distinction between explicit and implicit memory tasks. We propose that an interesting strategy for task analysis in work settings could emerge from this body of data. In this brief note we suggest that the sort of memory task, that is a test manipulation, can recruit specific processing operations conducted at study. This strategy, which extends the logic of dissociation traditionally used both in ergonomics and in cognitive psychology, does not fall into the selective assumption hypothesis, is non-intrusive, and would allow the study of variations in processing operations induced by natural variations in task conditions. We briefly report some results acquired in the context of process control in order to illustrate the reliability of this strategy relying on the manipulation of memory tests.
Specifying User’s Knowledge – A Cognitive Ergonomic View on Designing Information Technology Gerrit C. van der Veer, Ph.D. Whereas, for the human user, the system is a single more or less monolith “thing;” for the designer it is crucial to find out what types of knowledge will be needed and, hence, have to be specified. The aim of DUTCH (designing for users and tasks, from concepts to handles) is to specify all the relevant knowledge a user should possess to use the system. Such a full specification of all aspects of the technology to be (re)designed is what the model calls UVM (users virtual machine) and the main assumption is that it has to be done from the point of view of the prospective user. This paper starts with a brief overview of the DUTCH design approach that focuses on knowledge of the information technology as well as knowledge of the work situation and organization. In the next section we will deal in detail with the types of knowledge users need for adequately working with complex information technology. Next we will show what designers need to consider when focusing on user knowledge and to what extend different user roles make a difference for design. In the last section we will highlight detail design of information technology, which, in the DUTCH approach, means modeling the user’s virtual machine. To this end we will propose a modeling language NUAN (new user action notation) and provide an example of how NUAN captures the specification of technology details as far as relevant for user understanding.
Effectiveness of CD-ROM Memory Training as a Function of Within-Session Autonomy Jane S. Saczynski, Ph.D. Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D. Dana J. Plude, Ph.D. This study investigated the acquisition of computer skills in relation to computerized memory training in a sample of middle-aged and older adults. Computer skills included mouse use, navigation through the training CD, and autonomy of the training sessions and were assessed in twelve training sessions. Participant characteristics, including prior computer use, were non-significantly associated with acquisition of computer skills over either the first or second half of the training sessions. Acquisition of computer skills was differentially associated with memory performance within training sessions and cognitive performance assessed at posttest. Skills acquisition and performance relationships also differed between the first and second training intervals. Findings suggest that acquisition of computer skills is not a barrier to computerized learning and that novel interventions can be offered to individuals of various ages and computer skill levels. Additionally, computer learning early in the training is a more salient factor in memory improvement than are skills acquired in the second half of the training. Results offer implications for the design and evaluation of computerized training programs.
A Cognitive Learning Principle Derived from the Role Acquisition Strategies of Professional Actors Tony Noice, Ph.D. Helga Noice, Ph.D. In recent years, a wide variety of active learning techniques such as “Cooperative Learning” have been proposed and implemented. This article describes a new active learning device based on the role-acquisition strategies of professional actors. The “Active Experiencing Principle” (AE) bypasses deliberate memorization. In fact, participants are specifically instructed not to memorize but to deeply experience the communication of the to-be-learned material, either in their imaginations or with a partner. The background of the principle is presented, along with evidence of its effectiveness in terms of accurate recall of both words and meaning. Furthermore, the use of the technique to enhance overall cognitive and affective functioning is discussed.
Operationalizing Cognates and False Cognates: Using Translation Elicitation to Generate Stimuli in Six Languages Brian M. Friel, M.S. An empirical method of generating words that were either cognates or false cognates to English in six other languages produced a database of words usable as stimuli in a variety of research paradigms in the study of bilingualism and language learning. The translation elicitation task investigated the guessing of word meaning in six languages (Experiment 1: German, Icelandic, Croatian; Experiment 2: French, Portuguese, Spanish). Native English speakers ( N = 298) guessed the meanings of 100 nouns from a language unknown to them. Guesses for words containing non-English characters (e.g., ß, ç) were less accurate than for other words, although pronunciation guides for each language reduced the differences between conditions in Experiment 1. Data were used to empirically identify words that were cognates or false cognates with English words for possible use in other research. Overlap scores across translations reliably predicted cognate status. Differences across languages were interpreted in terms of etymological distance from English, orthographic depth, and special character prevalence.
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