An Extension to Simulated Web-Based Threats and Their Impact on Knowledge Communication Effectiveness

Introduction

Ubiquitous technology has dramatically changed the way in which people communicate and interact, and knowledge communication is one of the activities that has been drastically affected by the existence of the technology. A fundamental factor that promotes or deters the effectiveness of web-based knowledge communication is the human–computer interface. An abundant body of research has accumulated in studies that try to improve interfaces by considering user needs through usability studies, which are carried out throughout the implementation process (Schnitman, 2007). However, few studies have considered the incorporation of automatic brain mechanisms in the design of human–computer interfaces (see Kock et al., 2008, 2008a, 2009). The goal of this research is to incorporate automatic brain mechanisms (instincts) into effective knowledge communication performance in the context of computer-based learning by extending the original study by Kock et al. (2008).

The central contribution of this research mainly comes from the unlimited application of its findings; this research suggests that selective incorporation of simulated web-based threats (regardless of the nature of the negative stimulus) on the computer interface would lead to enhanced memorization throughout the activation of the automated mechanism of surprise. The human race requires specific forms of environmental input for its development, but “all [its] mechanisms require particular forms of input to be activated and to function properly” (Buss, 1995, p.5). An involuntary and instinctive response to surprise, such as that of increased cognitive capacity in the presence of what is perceived as a threat, should be relatively easy to exploit with the use of a simulated negative stimulus. In the present study we demonstrate how to exploit automatic brain mechanisms (i.e., enhanced memorization capacity as a consequence of the activation of the mechanism of surprise) to enhance knowledge communication effectiveness throughout the design of computer interfaces. Consider, as an example, the inclusion of a web-simulated emergency in the middle of an online training for medical doctors or registered nurses, this could have a bi-fold effect on the training, potential life-saving decision making due to enhanced memorization (because of the surprise/unexpected element) of the topic at hand, and potential better performance during such an emergency since it may not be unexpected anymore.