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Human Factors in User-Computer Interaction: an Introduction

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Human Factors in User-Computer Interaction: an Introduction Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation 1983, Vol. 15(2), 195-199 SESSION VI HUMAN FACTORS IN COMPUTING Human factors in user-computer interaction: An introduction RICHARD F. DILLON Carleton University, OttawaKIS 5B6, Canada The goal of human-factors research on human-computer interaction is to make computers usable. Describing the issues that determine whether a system is usable or not provides an introduction to the type of problems with which human-factors specialists are concerned. Starting in the mid-1970s with the growth of home HUMAN INTERACTION WITH computers, computer networks, and office automation, COMPUTER SYSTEMS there has been a corresponding growth in concern for the problems faced by humans using computers. This Sophisticated computers are now available and being concern is the focal point for the field of human factors used by hundreds of thousands of people who welcome in computer use. The field is inherently interdisciplinary. computer capabilities but curse computer complexity. Psychologists, computing scientists and system engineers, Human-factors research addresses the complexity hardware engineers and industrial designers, sociolo­ problem; one goal of human-factors research with com­ gists, educators, library scientists, mathematicians, puters is to make computers easier to use. To appreciate graphic specialists, and those concerned with using the magnitude of the problem, it is constructive to computers to aid the handicapped have all contributed consider the evolution of the interface between users to the field. and computer systems. As the field has matured, research has been directed With large mainframe systems, an artificial buffer toward two distinct populations of computer users. In has been placed between the user and the computer. the first population, the users are computer professionals: This buffer consists of highly trained professional com­ programmers, computing scientists, software engineers, puter personnel: computer operators who run the com­ system engineers, and so on. For this population, the puter, system engineers and programmers who create computer is not a means to an end, but rather the end and maintain system and application software, program itself. Here the research has been directed primarily librarians who keep track of software, engineers and toward methods of enhancing programming practice by technicians who take care of hardware, and keypunch refining programming techniques, improving system or key-to-disk operators who prepare materials to be design methods, improving teaching of programmers, submitted to the computer. The typical computer and improving selection of programmers. Schneiderman center has an army of such individuals. all highly trained (1980) has delineated the field of hum an-factors prob­ and knowledgeable about some aspect of the system, all lems for this population and given the area a name: working on a daily basis on the system and familiar with "software psychology." The second population of many obscure details, and all capable of and willing to computer users for whom human-factors research is master one or more volumes in the library of complex oriented is the non-computer professional. For this user, technical manuals that chronicle the dark secrets of the computer is not a central focus but is merely a system functioning. In many computer systems, the means to an end. Moran (1981) uses "computer-user buffer between the user and the computer is impene­ psychology" to describe research performed to aid this trable, with only the specialists permitted access to the population of users. This paper provides an introduction system. All interaction with the computer is handled by to selected human-factors problems encountered by the personnel from the data processing department. In second group. installations in which non-computer specialists are permitted to interact directly with the system, the This research was supported by Strategic Grant G0365 from users are often untrained and are typically one-time or the National Science and Engineering Research Council of occasional users who learn only enough about the sys­ Canada. tem to accomplish their immediate needs and then 195 Copyright 1983 Psychonomic Society, Inc. 196 DILLON promptly forget even those details. The typical com­ After paying thousands, even millions of dollars for a puter center solution to this problem is to provide com­ system, owners of large computers see that the computer puter consultants who understand the seemingly trivial, will be used regardless of how difficult it is to use, even but critical, details that will make an application pro­ if specialists have to be hired to use it. Purchasers of gram run. This buffer of specialists has made it possible inexpensive microcomputers are discretionary users. for users to obtain desired results, typically using an Ifthey do not like the system or cannot use it, they have application package, without knowing very much about alternative ways to solve their problems. the computer system. Clearly, the user-computer inter­ face has always been poorly human engineered, but Heterogeneity large amounts of money to support specialists have Contemporary computer users can be characterized made it tolerable. by extreme heterogeneity in terms of background and in The protective buffer has been crumbling for a terms of diversity of application (Smith, Note 2). A number of years as timesharing has replaced batch word processing program may be used by anyone from processing. The timesharing user has to know a little a grade school student to a PhD. A spread sheet, a about terminals, a little about the operating system, a scheduling program, or electronic mail is as likely to be little about files, perhaps a little about editing, and a used by a housewife as by a business executive. Hetero­ little about a few application programs. geneity of users will increase as more application pro­ With the appearance of the inexpensive microcom­ grams become available. puter, the protective buffer has crumbled to the ground. Because of these user characteristics, major changes The microcomputer user is operator, systems engineer, will have to be made to hardware and software if com­ hardware engineer, program librarian, and, often, pro­ puters are to be successfully introduced into homes, grammer. In the interactive, single-user environment that schools, and offices of new users on a large scale. These characterizes microcomputers, the user is on his own. changes are being made at the human-computer inter­ And he is in trouble. As use of interactive computers, face. The people finding out what changes to make are microcomputers, and networks expands, and as office working in the realm of human factors in human­ automation proceeds, even more computer-naive persons computer communication, and the primary goal, to use will attempt to interact with computers. These potential current buzz words, is to make systems ''user friendly." computer users are unique in terms of training, motiva­ tion to use a computer system, and diversity. USABILITY Lack of Training It is almost impossible to find an advertisement for a Many people trying to use computers today in microcomputer system that does not claim that the business, education, and so on, have had no formal system is "user friendly." Reading promotional litera­ computer training. Thus far, most serious microcom­ ture might lead one to conclude that all the human­ puter users have come pretrained with experience on factors problems have been solved. Unfortunately, the other computer systems that transfers to the new promotional claims about user friendliness are rarely system. There are a few new users who are willing and justified. This paper attempts to explain what a user­ able to pick up the necessary knowledge on their own, friendly system really is. For a slightly different approach but many totally naive users probably give up or, at the to the definition of usability, see Borman and Karr least, never realize the full potential of their systems (1982) and Wasserman (Note 3). Since human-factors (e.g., Nickerson, 1981). researchers are trying to attain usability, a description of One view, often held Wistfully by computer manu­ usability will provide an introduction to the realm of facturers and programmers, is that the general popula­ interest for the human-factors specialist. tion will become more computer literate, and so the It may be helpful to describe some characteristics problem will vanish. Presumably, widespread computer that many people erroneously believe will make a system literacy will come about because of (1) exposure of user friendly. Some programs are chatty. They are youth to computer games and (2) the introduction of polite; they say "please" and "thank you." When you computer courses into elementary and high schools. do something that is correct, they may use operant The evidence so far (e.g., Minnesota Educational Com­ techniques to reinforce correct behavior (e.g., Dwyer, puting Consortium, Note 1) suggests that universal 1981). They say "hello" and "bye." They may even use computer literacy may be difficult to achieve. In addi­ stored system accounting information to refer to you tion, it is not clear what is learned from computer games by your first name. For a while our university time­ except perceptual-motor skills. For some time in the sharing system occasionally slipped in an "eh?," as many future, it seems likely that users will not be familiar Canadians do in conversational
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