Exploring Comprehension Strategies of Modular Process Models: A Combined Eye-Tracking and Concurrent Think-Aloud...

Area of Science:

• Information Science
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Complex process models present significant comprehensibility challenges.
• Modularization is a proposed strategy to reduce model complexity and enhance understanding.
• Existing research lacks insight into the cognitive factors influencing the comprehension of modularized process models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different modularization formats affect the comprehension of complex process models.
• To identify cognitive strategies employed by individuals when interacting with modularized process models.
• To explore the impact of flattened, grouped, and subprocess modular formats on user comprehension.

Main Methods:

• An empirical study involving 25 participants.
• Utilized a combination of eye-tracking and concurrent think-aloud techniques.
• Compared comprehension across three distinct modular formats: flattened, grouped elements, and subprocesses.

Main Results:

• Identified distinct comprehension strategies associated with each modular format.
• Eye-tracking data revealed differences in visual attention patterns across formats.
• Think-aloud protocols provided qualitative insights into participants' cognitive processes.

Conclusions:

• The findings offer valuable insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying process model comprehension.
• Results suggest that the choice of modularization strategy can significantly influence user understanding.
• Highlights the need for further research into optimizing modular design for improved cognitive processing.