Intro to UI Design: Psychology and Human Factors: Shortcuts to Understanding Your Users :Introduction to UI Design (User Interface Design Specialization) Answers 2026

Question 1

Which statements about short-term and long-term memory are true?

• ❌ The recalling of short-term memory is slower than long-term memory.

• ✅ Short-term memory can hold only a small amount of information, while long-term memory can hold an indefinite amount of information.

• ✅ Short-term memory can hold information for a short period of time, while long-term memory can hold information for a long time.

• ❌ Interface design should avoid heavily relying on users’ short-term memory and long-term memory.

Explanation:
Short-term memory is limited in both capacity and duration, while long-term memory is vast and long-lasting. Interface design should avoid heavy reliance on short-term memory, but long-term memory can still be leveraged (e.g., learned conventions).

Question 2

Characteristics of human perception

• ❌ Human perception is stable and is not influenced by expectancies.

• ✅ Human eyes and mind see objects as belonging together if they are near each other in space.

• ❌ People respond very differently to the same shape in different sizes.

• ✅ Context, environment, and surroundings influence individual perception.

Explanation:
Gestalt principles (like proximity) and contextual factors strongly influence perception.

Question 3

Principles that prevent slips

• ❌ Good interface design should offer suggestions to users.

• ✅ Good interface design should choose good defaults.

• ✅ Good interface design should include helpful constraints.

• ❌ Good interface design should not forgive slips.

Explanation:
Slips are prevented through constraints and good defaults. Forgiveness is important, not harmful.

Question 4

Relationship between Design Model, User Model, and System Image

• ❌ Once designers understand both models, UI creation is easy.

• ❌ Designers should make the design model match the user model first.

• ✅ Designers should be explicit about their Design Model, then create a System Image that helps users form the same User Model.

• ❌ Designers should rely on documentation after interface design.

Explanation:
This reflects Norman’s model: the interface (System Image) bridges designer intent and user understanding.

Question 5

Email reply confusion – which concept applies?

• ✅ Gulf of Evaluation

• ❌ Constraints

• ❌ Mappings

• ❌ Gulf of Execution

Explanation:
You can’t easily tell the current system state (whether a reply exists).

Question 6

Instructors can’t find grade-editing link

• ✅ The Gulf of Execution

• ❌ Poor Mappings

• ❌ The Gulf of Evaluation

• ❌ Excessive memory load

Explanation:
Users know what they want to do but can’t figure out how to do it.

Question 7

Thumbnail while dragging files is an example of

• ❌ Constraints

• ❌ Fitt’s Law

• ✅ Feedback

• ❌ Mappings

Explanation:
The system continuously shows what action is occurring.

Question 8

Drop-down list of US states

• ❌ Attention

• ❌ Mappings

• ❌ Feedback

• ✅ Constraints

Explanation:
The design prevents invalid input.

Question 9

Best example of Mapping

• ❌ Google navigation drawer gesture

• ❌ Netflix images

• ❌ Yelp site purpose clarity

• ✅ Pebble watch buttons mapping up/down navigation

Explanation:
Controls map naturally to their effects.

Question 10

Why social science research helps socio-technical design

• ❌ Social science predicts behavior perfectly

• ❌ Social psychology is science

• ❌ People’s behavior is unpredictable

• ✅ Social sciences provide theories that explain motivation and behavior in social settings

Explanation:
Design benefits from theoretical understanding, not prediction alone.

Question 11

“Application” power of HCI theory

• ❌ Predict phenomena

• ❌ Describe phenomena

• ❌ Conceptual framework

• ✅ Theory informs and guides system design

Explanation:
Application power means using theory to design better systems.

Question 12

True statement about Distributed Cognition

• ❌ Unit of analysis is task transformation

• ❌ Plans only emerge when problems occur

• ❌ Privileges people over objects

• ✅ It focuses on how information and thought are embedded in objects and actions

Explanation:
Distributed cognition extends cognition beyond the individual to artifacts and environment.

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