Human-to-Human Communication

• A model for human-computer interaction?• Important scope limitation: problem solving• Why look at human-human interface?

– The human-computer interface is really a human-human interface because a computer’s intellectual substance is wholly derived from people!

1

Human-to-Human Communication

– Computer messages are messages from human designers to human users:

• Offset in time• Sent through a “mask”

– Lowers inhibitions– Can bring out hostility or misdirected sense of humor– A phenomenon observed by sociologists in actors

Wrap up2

Human-to-Human Communication

• Chapanis did study of nature of human-human communication for problem solving A. Chapanis, Scientific American, 1975.

– Source and seeker of information– Neither can solve problem alone– Must work together– Problem: assemble a trash toter

Wrap up3

Human-to-Human Communication

• Communication channels– Voice– Hand-writing– Typing– Video

• Communication mode – combination of channels• The experimental setup (next slide)

Wrap up4

Wrap up5

Excerpt from typed communication

Wrap up6

Excerpt from voice communication

Wrap up7

Human-to-Human Communication

• Results– Order of efficiency (time to solve)

• Communication-rich mode (all channels)• Voice (but cannot see each other)• Hand-writing (including drawing sketches)• Typing (experienced)• Typing (inexperienced)

– Time to complete• From less than 30 minutes (communication-rich mode)

to over 60 minutes (factor of 2.5)

Wrap up8

Human-to-Human Communication

• Results– Unexpected aspects

• Small difference between experienced and inexperienced typists

– Only about 1/3 of time on average used in typing– Different kind of typing (abbreviated and without attention to

punctuation)

• Small difference between communication-rich and voice only

– In spite of all the information-bearing gestures

• Voice was most important channel– All modes with voice did substantially better

Wrap up9

Human-to-Human Communication

• Observations– Communication was very ungrammatical

• A big barrier to voice I/O in HCI• Almost unintelligible • Expected, but surprising in extent that it was true• Communication success is tribute to human ability

Wrap up10

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

Human-to-Human Communication

• Observations– Voice channels are very verbose

• Higher bandwidth got used, but not efficiently

– Allowing interruption• Did not shorten solution time• Does cause different message packaging

Wrap up12

Human-to-Human Communication

• In-class exercise– Everyone: as you observe, write down important

characteristics of human-human-communication for problem-solving

– Are these not also important in human-computer interaction?

Wrap up13