Test your basic knowledge |

Design Principles

Subject : engineering
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A term used to describe a set of data - that when plotted - forms a symmetrical - bell- shaped curve.






2. 1) Physiological 2) Safety 3) Love 4) Self-Esteem 5) Self-Actualization


3. The act of measuring certain sensitive variable in a system can alter them - and confound the accuracy of the measurement.






4. Tendency to form an overall positive impression of a person on the basis of one positive characteristic






5. The level of control provided by a system should be related to the proficiency and experience levels of the people using the system.






6. A phenomenon of memory in which items presented at the beginning and end of a list are more likely to be recalled than items in the middle of a list.






7. People tend to prefer savanna- like environments to other types of environments. Open areas - scattered trees - water - and uniform grassiness rather than other natural environments such as desert - jungle - and complex mtns.






8. The greater the effort to accomplish a task - the less likely the task will be accomplished successfully.






9. A diagram that describes the general pattern followed by the eyes when looking at evenly distributed - homogeneous information.






10. The ratio of face to body in an image that influences the way the person in the image is perceived. (High = intelligent / Low = physical)






11. The process of using spatial and environmental information to navigate to a destination.






12. A method of presentation in which information is presented in descending order of importance. (Critical information presented first).






13. All products progress sequentially through four stages of existence: introduction - growth - maturity - and decline.






14. Successful products typically follow four stages of creation: requirements - design - development - and testing.






15. An original model on which something is patterned






16. A tendency to prefer environments with unobstructed views (prospects) and areas of concealment and retreat (refuges).






17. A tendency to interpret shaded or dark areas of an object as shadows resulting from a light source above the object.






18. A technique used to modify behavior by reinforcing desired behaviors - and ignoring or punishing undesired behaviors.






19. The time required to move to a target is a function of the target size and distance to the target.


20. A technique for bringing attention to an area of text or image.






21. A technique that influences decision making and judgement by manipulating the way information is presented.






22. There are five ways to organize information: Category - time - location - alphabet - and continuum.






23. A phenomenon of memory in which information that is analyzed deeply is better recalled than information that is analyzed superficially.






24. Elements that are similar are perceived to be more related than elements that are dissimilar.






25. Teachers treat students differently based on their expectations of how students will perform.






26. A method of managing system complexity that involves dividing large systems into multiple - smaller self- contained systems.






27. The visual clarity of text - generally based on the size - typeface - contrast - text block - and spacing of the characters used.






28. A property in which a form is made up of parts similar to the whole or to one another.






29. The tendency to see attractive people as more intelligent - competent - moral and sociable than unattractive people.






30. Using more elements than is necessary to offset the effects of unknown variables which may cause a system failure.






31. An ability to detect threatening stimuli more efficiently than nonthreatening stimuli.






32. A technique of combining many units of information into a limited number of units or chunks - so that the information is easier to process and remember.






33. A strategy for managing information complexity in which only necessary or requested information is displayed at any given time.






34. An action or ommission of action yielding an unintended result.






35. A method of limiting the actions that can be performed on a system.






36. The distressing state of thought caused by recognizing an inconsistency between behavior/thought and value/belief.






37. 80% of the effects generated by any large system are caused by 20% of the variables.






38. A Gestalt law of organization; elements arrange in a straight line or a smooth curve are perceived as a group - and are interpreted as being more related than elements not on the line or curve.






39. The time it takes to make a decision increases as the number of alternatives increases.


40. A tendency to interpret ambiguous images as simple and a complete unit - versus complex and incomplete. (Gestalt principle of perception).






41. Repeated exposure to stimuli for which people have neutral feelings will increase the likeability of the stimuli.






42. The usability of a system is improved when its status and methods of use are clearly visible.






43. The tendency for people to perform better or worse based on the expectations of another.






44. The quality of system output is dependent on the quality of system input.






45. A process in which similar characteristics evolve independently in multiple systems.






46. The tendency to perceive objects as unchanging - despite changes in sensory input. (such as perspective - lighting - color or size)






47. Given a choice between functionally equivalent designs - the simplest design should be selected.


48. A state of mental focus so intense that awareness of the 'real' world is lost - generally resulting in a feeling of joy and satisfaction.






49. As the flexiblity of a system increases - its usability decreases.






50. There are three ways to organize materials to support a load or to contain and protect something: Mass structures - frame structures - and shell structures.