Using Psychology to Improve Computer Interfaces

Abstract

Can psychology help to improve the usability of computer systems? This was investigated by applying psychological theories and research, mostly from cognitive psychology, to try to improve the learnability and user satisfaction of a renting system. The renting system was redesigned in order to make it easier to learn and to use. A usability test was conducted where 16 participants were randomly divided into two groups. Group one first performed tasks on the old system and then the new one, and vice versa for group two. The results showed that the redesigned system is easier to learn and to use and the users were more satisfied. This indicates that having a background in psychology and understanding how people think and behave can be valuable for designing usable computer systems.