Description error

• intended action has much in common with others that are possible

– usually occurs when right and wrong objects physically near each other

–pour juice into bowl instead of glass

–go jogging, come home, throw sweaty shirt in toilet instead of laundry basket

–move file to trash instead of to folder

Loss of activation

• forgetting what the goal is while undergoing the sequence of actions

– start going to room and forget why you are going there

– navigating menus/dialogs and can’t remember what you are looking for

– but continue action to remember (or go back to beginning)!

Mode errors

• people do actions in one mode thinking they are in another

– refer to file that’s in a different directory

– look for commands / menu options that are not relevant

Human-Computer interaction