1. SIE 515 The Human Brain vs. The Computer

2. Today’s Schedule Discussion of assignment Philosophy of mind
Brains vs. Circuits
High level differences
Human information processing
Sensation, perception, cognition, and attention
Change blindness

3. Humans vs. Computers Philosophy of mind Computer model of mind
Artificial Intelligence (AI): mind = program, brain = hardware
Reductive materialism: Mental events are reducible to physical events
Dualism: Mind and brain are separate

4. Brains vs. Circuits

5. Neurons vs. Transistors
Process of action
Differences in number
Difference in connectivity
Importance of parallel processing
Learning and adaptation

6. High Level Differences
Sense of self
First-person vs. third-person ontologies
Differences in learning
Deduction, induction, and abduction
Could AI account for these differences?

7. Human Information Processing
Model formulated by Card, Moran and Newell
3 human subsystems:
Perceptual = Sensory stimuli
Motor = Control of actions
Cognitive = Central processor

8. Sensation Reception of physical stimulus energy (sensory data)
Transduction of stimulus energy into neural code
Multiple channels of human sensation
Sensation and HCI design considerations

9. Perception Interpretation of sensed data into meaningful information
Combination of bottom-up and top-down processing
Influence of prior experience
Psychophysics:
Characterizing relation between perception and physical stimulus
HCI and perception

10. Cognition Learning, thinking, reasoning, and problem solving
HCI and cognition
Promotes mental model
Recognition over recall

11. HCI and Attention Attention = concentration of focus
Rules of thumb for design
Use salient alerts
Use abrupt and rapid stimuli
Use redundant information
Maximize bottom-up processing
When to use top-down processing
Change blindness

12. Door Test

13. Number of passes

14. Gradual Change Test

15. FOR NEXT CLASS Assignment 2: Task 1: Read Dix 1.3 & 1.4
Task 2: Identify an example of a good and bad interface that relies, in some way, on human memory. Write a paragraph on each, explaining: (1) how an understanding of human memory and reasoning benefitted the design of the “good” interface, (2) why the poor design example fails in this capacity and why the resulting interface is difficult for the user, and (3) how the poor interface could be improved based on a better understanding of human memory and information processing.
Submit by and post to blog 12 hours prior (1/25/16 by
11:59PM) to next class.