Human Attention in Digital Environments

This book studies the human ability to process information in digital environments, focusing on how technologies can be designed to help human attention.

Claudia Roda (Edited by)

9780521765657, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 3 February 2011

344 pages, 40 b/w illus. 32 colour illus. 7 tables
23.4 x 15.9 x 2.1 cm, 0.7 kg

'Those of us interested in learning many of the latest developments of how information systems interact with users and how that knowledge can help to communicate more effectively should read this book.' Journal of Technology in Human Services

Digital systems, such as phones, computers and PDAs, place continuous demands on our cognitive and perceptual systems. They offer information and interaction opportunities well above our processing abilities, and often interrupt our activity. Appropriate allocation of attention is one of the key factors determining the success of creative activities, learning, collaboration, and many other human pursuits. This book presents research related to human attention in digital environments. Original contributions by leading researchers cover the conceptual framework of research aimed at modelling and supporting human attentional processes, the theoretical and software tools currently available, and various application areas. The authors explore the idea that attention has a key role to play in the design of future technology and discuss how such technology may continue supporting human activity in environments where multiple devices compete for people's limited cognitive resources.

1. Introduction Claudia Roda
Part I. Concepts: 2. Human attention and its implications for HCI Claudia Roda
3. The management of visual attention in graphic displays Ronald A. Rensink
4. Cognitive load theory, attentional processes and optimized learning outcomes in a digital environment Renae Low, Putai Jin and John Sweller
5. Salience sensitive control, temporal attention and stimulus-rich reactive interfaces Howard Bowman, Li Su, Brad Wyble and Phil J. Barnard
Part II. Theoretical and Software Tools: 6. Attention-aware intelligent embodied agents Benoit Morel and Laurent Ach
7. Tracking of visual attention and adaptive applications Kari-Jouko Räihä, Aulikki Hyrskykari and Päivi Majaranta
8. Contextualised attention metadata Hans-Christian Schmitz, Martin Wolpers, Uwe Kirschenmann and Katja Niemann
9. Modelling attention within a complete cognitive architecture Georgi Stojanov and Andrea Kulakov
Part III. Applications: 10. A display with two depth layers: attentional segregation and declutter Frank Kooi
11. Attention management for self-regulated learning: AtGentSchool Inge Molenaar, Carla van Boxtel, Peter Sleegers and Claudia Roda
12. Managing attention in the social web: the AtGentNet approach Thierry Nabeth and Nicolas Maisonneuve.

Subject Areas: Human-computer interaction [UYZ], Computer science [UY], Cognition & cognitive psychology [JMR]