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Mental Model Interface Design: - Putting Users In Control

Kirsten M A Revell, Neville Stanton Human Factors Engineering, Transportation Research Group

Intelligent Agents for Home Energy Management

University of Southampton

Energy Feedback Symposium, 4th-5th July

Inspiration from Kempton (1986)

Feedback Mental Model

Valve Mental Model

Tem

pe

ratu

re/o

F

Time/hours

Tem

pe

ratu

re/o

F

Time/hours

Valve behaviour patterns may consume less energy

More variables need to be considered to understand the consequences of User

Behaviour

Exploring Relationship to inform energy conserving strategies

Device Design

Behaviour Patterns

Mental Models

Heating Goals

Comfort/ Energy

Hypothesis 1

Hyp

oth

esis

2

Hypothesis 3

Naturalistic home heating simulator

Mental Model promoting interface

More appropriate Functional UMMs at Device Level

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Realistic Design Realistic Design Realistic Design Realistic Design

Programmer Boost Thermostat TRV

Fre

qu

en

cy

Appropriateness by Condition, of Key Control Function Described in User Mental Models

Missing

Not Appropriate

Appropriate

Key system elements in UMMs

Boiler Activation

Increased Duration of Goal Acheivement

Statistically Significant Improvements with Mental Model Promoting Interface

System and Device Design

Behaviour Patterns & Strategies

Mental Model Content

Heating Goals

• Improved awareness of home heating controls

• More appropriate mental models at Device and System level (Conditional Rule, TRV feedback)

• Greater control of boiler activation

• Increased use of Frost Protection and Holiday Button

• More appropriate behaviour with TRV controls

• Increased duration of goal achievement

Further Information

• Revell, K. M. A. & Stanton, N. A. 2014. Case studies of mental models in home heat control: Searching for feedback, valve, timer and switch theories. Applied Ergonomics, 45 (3), 363-378.

• Revell, K.M. and Stanton, N.A., 2015. When energy saving advice leads to more, rather than less, consumption. International Journal of Sustainable Energy, pp.1-19.

• Revell, K. M. A. & Stanton, N. A. 2012. Models of models: filtering and bias rings in depiction of knowledge structures and their implications for design. Ergonomics, 55 (9), 1073-1092.

• Revell, K.M. and Stanton, N.A., 2016. Mind the gap–Deriving a compatible user mental model of the home heating system to encourage sustainable behaviour. Applied Ergonomics

• Revell, K. and Stanton, N.A., 2016. The Quick Association Check (QuACk): a resource-light,‘bias robust’method for exploring the relationship between mental models and behaviour patterns with home heating systems. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, pp.1-34.

• Forthcoming Book by Taylor & Francis: “Mental Models: Design of User Interaction and Interfaces for Domestic Energy Systems”

Contact: k.m.revell@soton.ac.uk