Revell, K M A and Stanton, N A (2018) Mental model interface design: Putting users in control of home heating. Building Research & Information, 46(3), pp. 251-271. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Occupant behaviour is a key variable affecting the amount of energy used in homes. The understanding, interface and interaction with heating controls hold the potential to influence how heating is operated and, in turn, how much energy is consumed. A study is presented to test a series of hypotheses that the design of the home-heating interface can positively influence the achievement of home-heating goals, if it is specifically designed to communicate a user mental model (UMM) of how the system functions. This would encourage appropriate inhabitant behaviour. The experiment involved 20 pairs of participants matched by age, gender and home-heating experience. The participants were asked to attain a series of home-heating goals using an accelerated home-heating simulator. The impact of specific design features of a novel interface design was compared with an interface offering a traditional home-heating system experience. The evidence confirms that design features contributed to differences in UMMs, intentional behaviour and goal achievement. A mental model approach to design can be used as a means of putting users 'in control' of their heating system to enable them to fulfil their home-heating goals better.;Occupant behaviour is a key variable affecting the amount of energy used in homes. The understanding, interface and interaction with heating controls hold the potential to influence how heating is operated and, in turn, how much energy is consumed. A study is presented to test a series of hypotheses that the design of the home-heating interface can positively influence the achievement of home-heating goals, if it is specifically designed to communicate a user mental model (UMM) of how the system functions. This would encourage appropriate inhabitant behaviour. The experiment involved 20 pairs of participants matched by age, gender and home-heating experience. The participants were asked to attain a series of home-heating goals using an accelerated home-heating simulator. The impact of specific design features of a novel interface design was compared with an interface offering a traditional home-heating system experience. The evidence confirms that design features contributed to differences in UMMs, intentional behaviour and goal achievement. A mental model approach to design can be used as a means of putting users 'in control' of their heating system to enable them to fulfil their home-heating goals better.;
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | feedback; design; energy conservation; behaviour change; mental models; occupants; space heating; energy; Objectives; Computer simulation; Heating; Residential energy |
| Index terms: | experiment, residential energy, space heating, energy conservation, occupant behaviour, interaction, behaviour change, heating system, computer simulation, inhabitant behaviour, mental model, evidence |
| Subjects: | mechanical systems, sociology, health behaviours and lifestyles, evaluation and assessment methods, cognitive psychology, energy systems, behavioral psychology, data collection methods, modelling and simulation |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Sustainability, Research Practice, Urban Studies, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here