Performance of Reactive Interfaces in Stimulus Rich Environments, Applying Formal Methods and Cognitive Frameworks

Previous research has developed a formal methods-based (cognitive-level) model of the Interacting Cognitive Subsystems central engine, with which we have simulated attentional capture in the context of Barnard’s key-distractor Attentional Blink task. This model captures core aspects of the allocation of human attention over time and as such should be applicable across a range of practical settings when human attentional limitations come into play. Thus, we have used this model to evaluate the performance trade-offs that would arise from varying key parameters in Stimulus Rich Reactive Interfaces. A strength of formal methods is that they are abstract and thus, the resulting specifications of the operator are general purpose, ensuring that our findings are broadly applicable.