The Interaction of Task and Interface in the Development of Mental Models for an Acoustic Database

Abstract

Computer graphics are becoming an increasingly important component of the human-computer interface. Computer graphics can be effectively used to present many types of information. However, the psychological processes underlying visual imaging and reasoning are not well understood, especially in a systems context. This paper is concerned with how individuals mentally represent and reason about complex systems. Relevant basic and applied research is briefly reviewed and implications for human-computer interaction are discussed.