Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Starting from these three typologies—which are related to the person-system
and the technology-system—the psychotechnologist introduces a new feature—the
socioenvironment-system—by following the biopsychosocial perspective (Figure 9.1). In
this way, the psychotechnologist aims to analyze both barriers and facilitators occurring
within the interaction system to obtain the best combination among all of its components
(WHO 2001, 2007).
According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)
perspective, it is important to follow a systemic approach in which aid becomes a part of a
complex system composed of the user and his or her caregivers in a specific environment
to allow him or her better autonomy (Scherer 2005). In this way, the psychotechnologist
overcomes the ergonomic approach, which analyzes only the user system-technology
system interaction, by also taking into account the user's needs to evaluate the related goals
contextualized within the user's environment and his or her reached autonomy degree.
By following an integrated or intrasystemic model (Federici et al. 2005, 2011; Federici and
Borsci 2010), the psychotechnologist investigates the three person, aid, and environment
dimensions as a whole and complex system in which object (system) and subject (user)
are a part of a composite and dynamic empirical observation process within a specific
environment. For this reason, the evaluation process of the system is based on a
combination of top-down and bottom-up evaluation methodologies (Federici et al. 2005).
The top-down methodologies are used to verify the accordance of the specific environment
to standard rules and guidelines, e.g., the specifications suggested by the International
Standard Organization (ISO) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C, WAI). These
kinds of methodologies could mainly be applied to the evaluation process to identify
the accessibility parameters of the related interface. On the other hand, the bottom-up
methodologies are used to evaluate the way in which the final user interacts with the
interface in the specific environment of use. The evaluations are conducted by observing
the user's behavior and giving psychometric analytic trials. These kinds of methodologies
are mainly addressed to observe the user's behavior while interacting with the interface
and measure satisfaction levels. In this way, the bottom-up methodologies measure the
usability levels of a user-technology-behavior system.
That being so, the psychotechnologist's role is to investigate and verify the dynamic
and complex user-technology-behaviour system by integrating top-down and bottom-up
methods to highlight the empowerment offered to the user by the assistive solution
(Federici et al. 2003, 2005, 2011; Federici and Borsci 2010).
Environment
/milieu
Assistive
technology
Person
FIgUre 9.1
The interaction system according to the biopsychosocial model.
