7A Response Selection and Execution

Response Selection – a cognitive process of figuring out what actions to take in light of information
perceived through sensory channels and information stored in long-term memory. The process of
choosing the appropriate action to take in response to a given stimulus

Response Execution – the cognitive process of carrying out the action. It involves both cognitive and
physical elements.

Cognitive element – coordinating the actions of the musculoskeletal system

Physical element – expending strength and energy to accomplish action

An important feature of response execution is shown as the feedback loop in the human information
processing model. Based on the human information processing model, as a response execution is being
undertaken, it is verified through the operation of sensory system, perception, working memory, long
term memory, attention resources, and response selection. In other words, before we make a response
execution and action, the information or stimuli initially enters our human sensory system. Afterwards, it
is perceived by our brain based on our experience and knowledge which are influenced by our attention
and memory. And based on the interpretation of the information or stimuli, we select the response or
action to make then finally, we execute the action or response.

Many of the actions in response execution are largely automatic, carried out as a close loop control
system.

FACTORS AFFECTING RESPONSE SELECTION & EXECUTION

Five factors seem to be especially important in affecting the difficulty and speed with which response
selection and execution is carried out. These are:

1. Decision complexity – refers to the number of possible alternative responses that could be selected in
response selection. The definition fits readily into the context of a decision-making situation in which a
person must decide among several alternative courses of action. As more choices become available, the
complexity of the decision process increases. It follows that as decision capacity increases, the time to
make the selection process also increases.

Examples:

- Use of Menus. The time for a person to select an item from a simple software menu increases with the
number of items

- Predatory Behavior. The time for a predator to target a prey increases with the number of potential
preys

- Simple Tasks. The time for a person to press the correct button depending on the color of the light
increases with the number of possible colors

- Device Settings. The time for a person to make simple decisions about adjustments on a device increases
with the number of controls

- Martial Arts. The time for a martial artist to block a punch increases with the number of known blocking
techniques

- Road Signs. As long as road signs are not too dense or complex, the time for a driver to make a turn
based on a particular road sign increases with the total number of road signs

These examples demonstrated that as decision complexity increases, the time to make the selection also
increases. This time is referred to as reaction time.

Reaction time can be modeled by a relationship known as the Hick-Hyman Law of reaction time:

This model shows that there is a direct relationship in the reaction time and the complexity of decision
due to the number of choices available. The Hick-Hyman Law is a simple idea that says that the more
choices you present your users with, the longer it will take them to reach a decision. In cognitive
ergonomics, especially in the design of work system, we can apply the Hick-Hyman Law to improve the
user’s overall approach to decision making by making decision principles short and simple. To apply the
Hick-Hyman Law model, we need to determine the following variables:

*The H can be measured in two ways:

*equal alternative means the probability or chance in selecting a stimulus from among all stimuli are equal

*unequal means the chance in selecting a stimuli from among all stimuli are unequal.
An extension of the Hick-Hyman Law Reaction Time is the Fitt’s Law Movement time which can be
modeled by this equation:

The Fitt’s Law states that the amount of time required for a person to move to a target area is a function
of the distance to the target area divided by the size of the target. Thus, the longer the target distance
and the smaller the target size, the longer it takes to move to a target area.
The principles of Fitt’s Law can be widely applied in user interface design. The law influenced the
convention of making interactive buttons large (especially on finger-operated mobile devices) because
smaller buttons are more difficult and more time-consuming to click. Likewise, the distance between a
user’s task/attention area and the task-related button should be kept as short as possible.

2. Response expectancy – refers to the fact that humans can process information they are expecting much
faster than information they are not expecting. Similarly, humans can select a response they are expecting
more quickly than one that is unexpected.

Example:

- A machine operator must press a start button to begin each work cycle when the green light goes on.
But if the red light turns on, the response will be delayed because it was unexpected. Both the time to
respond and the probability of error will be greater.

3. Compatibility – refers to the relationship between a stimulus and the expected consequence of a given
response to that stimulus. Thus, compatibility and expectancy are closely related.
Example:

- When flipping a wall switch for a light, our expectation is that flipping the switch toggle to the up position
will turn the light on and flipping it down will turn it off.

Response compatibility means that when a person must select a response, the possible actions should be
consistent with the person’s expectations.

Controls designed with good compatibility offer the following benefits:

-faster learning by the user

-faster reaction times

-reduced errors

-higher user satisfaction.

There are three types of compatibility that can be distinguished, all of which are relevant in the response
selection and execution. These are:

(1) conceptual compatibility – concerned with associations people have between codes or symbols and
the things they are supposed to represent; in other words, the meaning of codes and symbols to people
who use them.

Example:

(2) spatial compatibility – physical arrangement of controls and their corresponding labels.

Example:

(3) movement compatibility – refers to relationship between moving a control in a certain direction and
the expected result due to the movement.

Example:
4. Tradeoff between speed and accuracy (Speed-accuracy trade off) – refers to the negative correlation
between speed and accuracy in response selection and execution. In most situations, the faster a person
selects a response, the more likely it is that an error will be made. If very high accuracy is required in the
application, then enough time must be allowed for the person to select the correct response.

Example:

- An air traffic controller must be allowed sufficient time to make sure mistakes are avoided

5. Feedback – in the human information-processing model, the feedback loop allows a person to see
and/or hear the effect of his or her action. Feedback is important because it provides verification that the
action taken in response selection and execution had the anticipated effect. The time delay between
response action and feedback should be as small as possible. Otherwise, the individual cannot directly
confirm that the response action had the desired effect.

CONCLUSION:

- Response Selection and Execution is a stage of information processing concerned with translating
the decision mechanism, which leads to the choice of response associated with the presented
stimulus.
- The duration of this stage is affected by variable such as decision complexity, response
expectancy, response compatibility, tradeoff between speed and accuracy, and feedback.