Cyclic interaction: a unitary approach to intention, action and the environment

The history of psychological explanation in human–computer interaction (HCI) is reviewed in order to illustrate the notion of cyclic interaction. The claim made is that much real behaviour is usefully thought of as a continuous process of cyclic interaction with the environment. According to this account action leads to changes to the state of the world, these are evaluated with respect to, and in a manner conditioned by, the userʹs current goals. This evaluation leads to the reformulation of goals and further action, this action leads to a new state of the environment, and so on. Cyclic interaction is contrasted with the more commonly adopted view of cognition that may be caricatured as a `one-shot comprehensionʹ where perception and recognition lead to action but the role of goals and the effects of action on the environment are not primary concerns. It is argued that a change of emphasis in cognitive research is required to make good these omissions, with new kinds of experimental paradigm and new ways of modelling behaviour.