[Sigia-l] IA myths: conceptual model of navigation - was: mixing apples and oranges and tomatoes

[Tanya Rabourn]

Mike wrote:
> >. I might say that your "muscle memory"
> >is based on certain expectations you have developed semi-consciously
> >while using
> >a certain site.

Andrew Otwell wrote:
> I don't know, Mike. If you play a musical instrument, you know what
> muscle memory's like. I have often felt that I used muscle memory in
> working with software applications (although less so with sites),
> like Photoshop or Director, that I've used for a long time.

If "muscle memory" refers to the sort of memory we use to play an
instrument, type, etc. then it's referring to procedural (implicit)
memory. Obviously you weren't born knowing how to do these tasks, so you
did learn them at some point, but you don't have to recall learning the
tasks to perform them. (People with amnesia aren't impaired in performing
implicit tasks). So, whether or not a user's interaction with navigation
involves muscle memory, would most likely depend on the level of awareness
you want to attribute to the user's interaction -- whether or not you want
to chalk it up to implicit or explicit memory.

I think it was Peter (the Pernicious -- pretty bad-ass epithet, Peter, you
should go with it) who was iffy on the whole user forming a conceptual
model of navigation thing.

In questioning whether or not a user forms a conceptual model
of navigation, I think, if I understand it correctly, you're not really
questioning whether users form this conceptual model, but whether they
are aware of forming it -- whether they're aware of their perception of
the navigation of the site. If they're not, and have the sort of knowledge
that can influence behavior without consciousness, then I think that's
where the relationship between muscle memory and the conceptual model of
navigation comes in. You can argue that they are related if you want to
propose that all of this is happening at the unconscious level and
depends on implicit memory instead of explicit memory.

I just remembered an anecdote that relates to real world navigation --
someone with amnesia remembered that he needed to go to the kitchen when
he wanted a cup of coffee, but he couldn't remember his way to the
kitchen. I guess that's supposed to be an example of implicit vs. explicit
memory.

-Tanya
___________________________________
Tanya Rabourn <rabourn at columbia.edu>
[User Services Consultant]
AcIS R & D <www.columbia.edu/acis/rad>
tel: 212.854.0295