computer science

Human action cycle

Human action cycle is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Human action cycle rather than just read about it. In short: The human action cycle is a psychological model which describes the steps humans take when they interact with computer systems. The model was proposed by Donald A.

Key takeaways

Human action cycle belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Human action cycle to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Human action cycle from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The human action cycle is a psychological model which describes the steps humans take when they interact with computer systems. The model was proposed by Donald A. Norman, a scholar in the discipline of human–computer interaction. The model can be used to help evaluate the efficiency of a user interface (UI). Understanding the cycle requires an understanding of the user interface design principles of affordance, feedback, visibility and tolerance. The human action cycle describes how humans may form goals and then develop a series of steps required to achieve that goal, using the computer system. The user then executes the steps, thus the model includes both cognitive activities and physical activities.

The three stages of the human action cycle The model is divided into three stages of seven steps in total, and is (approximately) as follows:

Goal formation stage 1. Goal formation.

Execution stage 2. Translation of goals into a set of unordered tasks required to achieve goals. 3. Sequencing the tasks to create the action sequence. 4. Executing the action sequence.

Evaluation stage 5. Perceiving the results after having executed the action sequence. 6. Interpreting the actual outcomes based on the expected outcomes. 7. Comparing what happened with what the user wished to happen.

Use in evaluation of user interfaces Typically, an evaluator of the user interface will pose a series of questions for each of the cycle's steps, an evaluation of the answer provides useful information about where the user interface may be inadequate or unsuitable. These questions might be:

Step 1, Forming a goal: Do the users have sufficient domain and task knowledge and sufficient understanding of their work to form goals? Does the UI help the users form these goals? Step 2, Translating the goal into a task or a set of tasks: Do the users have sufficient domain and task knowledge and sufficient understanding of their work to formulate the tasks? Does the UI help the users formulate these tasks? Step 3, Planning an action sequence: Do the users have sufficient domain and task knowledge and sufficient understanding of their work to formulate the action sequence? Does the UI help the users formulate the action sequence? Step 4, Executing the action sequence: Can typical users easily learn and use the UI? Do the actions provided by the system match those required by the users? Are the affordance and visibility of the actions good? Do the users have an accurate mental model of the system? Does the system support the development of an accurate mental model? Step 5, Perceiving what happened: Can the users perceive the system's state? Does the UI provide the users with sufficient feedback about the effects of their actions? Step 6, Interpreting the outcome according to the users' expectations: Are the users able to make sense of the feedback? Does the UI provide enough feedback for this interpretation? Step 7, Evaluating what happened against what was intended: Can the users compare what happened with what they were hoping to achieve?

Further reading Norman, D. A. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York, Doubleday/Currency Ed. ISBN 0-465-06709-3

Related terms Gulf of evaluation exists when the user has trouble performing the evaluation stage of the human action cycle (steps 5 to 7). Gulf of execution exists when the user has trouble performing the execution stage of the human action cycle (steps 2 to 4). OODA Loop is an equivalent in military strategy.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Human action cycle

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Human action cycle claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Human action cycle before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Human action cycle ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Human action cycle

In research: Human action cycle appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Human action cycle in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Human action cycle is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Human–computer interaction, Motor control, Psychological models, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Human action cycle outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Human action cycle in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Human action cycle means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Human action cycle out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Human action cycle in simple terms?

The human action cycle is a psychological model which describes the steps humans take when they interact with computer systems. The model was proposed by Donald A.

Why does Human action cycle matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Human action cycle?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Human action cycle.