28. Some Types of Mental Processing Are More Challenging Than Others

Some Types of Mental Processing ...

• Are More Challenging Than Others.
• There are 3 different kinds of demands or LOADs that you form mental processing:
• Cognitive (memory)
• Visual
• Motor

All Loads Are Not Equal

• Learning Science 101: Cognitive Load Theory (Einbetten)
• Each load takes up a different amount of mental resources
• Visual loads (looking a screen) takes more than Motor
• (pressing a button)
• Cognitive loads (remembering a date) takes more than visual (looking at a person)
• The order of Loads using the most resources
• Cognitive
• Visual
• Motor

Minimize Motor Switching

• Don't allow people to switch back and forth between motor loads
• Using a mouse only -> Using a Keyboard to navigate
• Motor Switching can cause people to lose focus or become frustrated
• For accessiblity design, minimizing motor switching can be useful to those using accessible devices

Sometime You May Increase Loads

• As designers, you want to decrease the amount of loads the user comes across. But increasing loads can be beneficial:
• To grab the user's attention using media
• When you intentionally want to focus the user's attention elsewhere
• To provide a challenge