Cognitive Science and Behavioral Science
Understanding people is essential to studying how we interact with computers. The way our users think, perceive, behave, learn, and even how they become frustrated, can be used to inform better, more user-friendly designs and systems. For example, being aware of cognitive load (the mental memory required for processing info and completing a task) helps designers to create interfaces that are easy and intuitive to navigate.
Understanding human behavior is also essential to designing better systems and interactions. In HCI, the behavioral sciences help us to understand how people make decisions and interact with technology. Elements from behavioral sciences are used to inform our persuasive designs, encourage healthy habits or improve user engagement.
Students who want to learn more about how cognitive and behavioral sciences are applied to HCI might be interested in the following courses:
Less Is More: 'Stingy' Bots That Hoard Resources Can Still Boost Human Relationships
NEWSA recent study from Carnegie Mellon University and Cornell University researchers unveiled how artificial intelligence impacts human welfare in social networks. ...
CMU Researchers Find Cooperation Takes a Backseat in Automated Game of Chicken
NEWSAn experiment in which people played games of chicken with partially automated toy cars suggests that social norms, such as taking turns, may collapse as people delegate more decision-maki...
Study Questions Benefits of Social Networks to Disaster Response
NEWSCommunication Within Groups Not as Helpful as AnticipatedFaced with a common peril, people delay making decisions that might save lives, fail to alert each other to danger and spread misi...