Human cognition and human computer interaction

Abstract

Not too long ago the programmer and the program user were one and the same person. Since the user had created the program he knew what to expect from it, what it could and couldn't do, now to control and change it etc. The diffusion of computers in our society and their usage in an ever increasing number of professional fields has changed this picture. In most cases the user is no longer the person who has written the program in question. This separation causes a considerable number of problems concerning the cognitive ergonomics of human computer interaction. It is the purpose of this paper to define some of these important problems and to indicate a way of solving these problems. Other important aspects of human computer interaction such as physical and social factors will not be considered.