Issues in Cognitive and Social Ergonomics: From Our House to Bauhaus

It is claimed that in order to understand the problem of system intelligibility, the authors must focus not only on the cognitive, but also on the social aspects of system use, and propose new research approaches for investigating these mechanisms.

Abstract

Intelligibility is one of the key factors affecting the acceptance and effective use of information systems. In this article, we discuss the ways in which recognition of this factor challenges current system design strategies, as well as current theoretical perspectives and research methodologies. In particular, we claim that in order to understand the problem of system intelligibility, we must focus not only on the cognitive, but also on the social aspects of system use. After considering some of the sources of users ’ difficulty in understanding information systems, we propose a new global philosophy for interface design: design for the management of trouble. We discuss the design implications of four mechanisms for improving system intelligibility: (1) useful mental models of the system and its associated subsystems, (2) communicative repair in user-system interaction, (3) new training strategies, and (4) use of the larger social environment as an aid to understanding information systems.