| This research project has three contributions. The first brings cognitive psychology to bear on the process of developing and designing image icons to make it easier for people to use and learn computer functions. Next, it investigates the information processing underlying human computer interaction in the comprehension of a computer software function and its image icon representation. Finally, It develops an approach to computer image icon design which is based on the users' mental representations and is guided by cognitive psychological theory.;We hypothesize the computer function mental space and image icon mental space in human mental representations. The mapping from the computer function mental space to the image icon mental space is the key to the recognition of the computer functions indicated by the displayed computer image icons. In Experiment 1, we evaluated 70 currently used computer image icons in Microsoft applications. Then Experiment 2 had users generate mental representation spaces for use in the design of new image icons. In the recognition of image icons (Experiment 3), we found that the connection strengths between the two mental spaces in human memory are not symmetrically bi-directional. Recognition connection strength is significantly stronger than generation connection strength. Experiments 4 and 5 were human performance testing experiments. The results suggest. that recognition strength accounts for more of the variation in human performance than does generation strength. Moreover, In the image icon recognition process, a Function-Probe process, not an Image-Probe process, is supported. Recognition Strength, Confusion Strength and Related Confusion Strength are the three most important factors in the Function-Probe process. Last, in Human preference for image icons (Experiment 6), it was found that human preference does not reliably predict human performance. Overall, this research developed an approach and methods of how to design and predict the effectiveness of computer image icons. Meanwhile, the newly designed image icons following the approach from Experiment 2 to Experiment 6 resulted in better human performance and preference compared with most currently used Microsoft image icons. |
