Error modeling

[Dr. Stellan Ohlsson]

Just returned from a trip and found a brief exchange on my machine
about the modeling of errors, particularly mapping Norman's error
categories onto ACT-R architectural processes. However, there is
another way to look at performance errrors: They are ALL commission
errors, by necessity. The reason for this is that behavior never stops;
the architecture is always doing *something* in the next unit of time,
so if it should have done X but doesn't, it is certain to be doing Y
instead; hence every omission error is an commission error.
Furthermore, the general reason why we do Y when we should have done X
(given that we are at all *capable* of retrieving/doing X), is that the
triggering conditions for Y are overly general. If the
triggering/production conditions for Y were specified with perfect
accuracy, then Y would not, by definition, be considered in a situation
in which we should be doing X. It is because the application of Y is
underspecified that gives Y the opportunity to compete with X and,
sometimes, win. This view of error provides a single, unified account
that covers both omission and commission errors. If anyone is
interested in pursuing this idea in detail, the relevant references
are:


<bigger>Ohlsson, S. (1996). Learning from performance errors.
<italic>Psychological Review</italic>, 103, pp.
241-262.<fontfamily><param>Times</param>


</fontfamily>Ohlsson, S. (1996). Learning from error and the design of
task environments. <italic>International Journal of Educational
Research</italic>, <italic>25</italic>(5),
419-448.<fontfamily><param>Times</param>


</fontfamily></bigger>-Stellan Ohlsson



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Achieving a goal requires work; solving a problem requires
intelligence;

seeing the truth requires imagination.


Stellan Ohlsson                         Phone: (312) 996-6643

Chair, Cognitive Division                       Fax: 312-413-4122

Department of Psychology (M/C 285)      Email: stellan at uic.edu

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) 

1007 West Harrison Street

Chicago, IL 60607-7513

Web page: http://www.uic.edu/depts/psch/ohlson-1.html