Glossary

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Tactile Accuracy

Tactile accuracy is an evaluation criterion for measuring how well a person perceives the shape information of an object in a tactile image through touch. Unlike "naming accuracy" (whether someone can name the object), tactile accuracy captures whether the person has obtained…

Talking Mats

A visual communication framework that uses a textured mat and sets of picture symbols to help people express their views on topics that matter to them. Developed at the University of Stirling, Talking Mats provides a structured way for people who find it difficult to communicate…

Tangible Design Language(also: Physical Design Language)

An approach to design communication that uses physical objects, props, and prototypes to enable participants to express their needs, ideas, and preferences through hands-on interaction rather than abstract verbal or written descriptions. Tangible design languages are especially…

Target Highlight Time(also: THT)

A performance measure used in human-computer interaction research that captures the time elapsed between when a user positions a pointer over a target and when they initiate an action on that target, such as clicking or dragging. THT reflects how quickly a user can recognize and…

Task Analysis(also: Hierarchical Task Analysis, HTA)

A systematic method for breaking down complex activities into their component tasks, subtasks, and actions to understand how users accomplish goals when interacting with a system. In accessibility and usability evaluation, task analysis is used to identify potential barriers by…

Task Completion Time(also: TCT, Time on Task)

A key usability metric measuring the time a user takes to complete a specific task from start to finish. In accessibility research, task completion time is one of the primary measures for comparing the efficiency of different assistive technology approaches or interaction…

Taxonomy(also: Classification System, Classification Scheme)

A structured classification system that organizes concepts, terms, or entities into hierarchical categories based on shared characteristics. In accessibility research and practice, taxonomies are used to categorize types of disabilities, assistive technologies, accessibility…

Technology Acceptance Model(also: TAM)

A theoretical framework originally developed by Fred Davis in 1989 that explains how users come to accept and use a technology. TAM posits that technology adoption depends on two primary factors: perceived usefulness (the degree to which a person believes the technology will…

Technology Adoption Model(also: TAM)

A theoretical framework developed by Fred Davis that explains how users come to accept and use new technology. The model proposes that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are the primary factors influencing technology adoption decisions. In accessibility research, TAM…

Technology Biography(also: Technology Biographies)

A qualitative research method consisting of structured interview and observation sessions focused on specific elements of a user's interaction with technological artifacts. Developed by Blythe and colleagues, the method encourages sharing and discussion about how a person uses…

Technology Probe

A research method that deploys a simple, functional technology prototype in real-world or realistic settings to observe user interactions and gather feedback about future design possibilities. Unlike polished prototypes, technology probes are intentionally open-ended, designed…

Technology Probe

A simple, flexible technology deployed in real-world settings to gather data about user needs, preferences, and interaction patterns. Unlike polished prototypes, technology probes are intentionally open-ended and incomplete, designed to inspire users and researchers to explore…

Technology acceptance model(also: TAM, UTAUT)

A theoretical framework predicting how users come to accept and use a technology, originally proposing that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use determine adoption. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) extended this with factors including…

Techshop Method(also: Techshops, QUT Techshop)

A reciprocal co-design research method where researchers learn about participants' perspectives on technology as participants learn about and engage with it. Developed for inclusive technology research with people with intellectual disability, the Techshop format involves…

Testimonial Injustice

A form of epistemic injustice, articulated by Miranda Fricker, in which a speaker's credibility is unjustly deflated because of prejudice attached to their identity. In accessibility and aging research, testimonial injustice occurs when researchers treat older adults' or…

Thematic Analysis(also: TA)

A qualitative research method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data. Thematic analysis involves systematically coding data, grouping codes into themes, and refining those themes to tell a coherent story about the data. It is widely used in…

Think Aloud(also: Think-Aloud Protocol, Verbal Protocol, Concurrent Think Aloud)

A research methodology where participants verbalize their thoughts while performing a task, providing insight into cognitive processes that would otherwise be unobservable. In accessibility research, think-aloud protocols are commonly used during usability testing to understand…

Think Aloud Protocol(also: Think-Aloud Method, Verbal Protocol Analysis, Thinking Aloud)

A usability testing method in which participants verbalize their thoughts, feelings, and decision-making processes while performing tasks with a system or interface. Developed for cognitive interface design research, the think aloud protocol helps evaluators understand how users…

Think-Aloud(also: Think-Aloud Protocol, Verbal Protocol Analysis)

A research method in usability and accessibility testing where participants verbalize their thoughts, strategies, and reactions while performing tasks. Think-aloud protocols are particularly valuable in accessibility research because they reveal the cognitive strategies and…

Think-Aloud Protocol(also: Think Aloud, Verbal Protocol Analysis)

A usability research method in which participants verbalize their thoughts, reactions, and decision-making processes while interacting with a system or performing a task. Think-aloud protocols provide rich qualitative data about user experience, revealing cognitive processes,…

Threat Modeling(also: Security Threat Modeling, STRIDE)

A structured engineering practice for identifying, categorising, and mitigating security and privacy threats in a system before they are exploited. The widely used STRIDE framework (Microsoft) covers six classes — Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information disclosure, Denial…

Throughput(also: Throughput (Fitts), Pointing Throughput)

In human-computer interaction, throughput is a combined speed-accuracy metric derived from Fitts's law that measures the efficiency of aimed pointing movements, expressed in bits per second (bps). It is calculated by dividing the index of difficulty (a function of target…

Tiered Mentoring(also: Near-Peer Mentoring, Cascade Mentoring)

A mentoring structure in which learners at several stages of development work together, so that each participant has a role model who is only one step ahead of them rather than many. In a tiered model applied to research labs, for example, high-school students are mentored by…

Time Diary(also: Time Use Diary, Activity Diary)

A research methodology in which participants record their activities, experiences, or events in real time or near-real time as they occur, rather than recalling them retrospectively. In accessibility and usability research, time diaries have been used to capture frustrating…

Topic Modeling(also: LDA, Latent Dirichlet Allocation)

A machine learning technique that automatically discovers abstract themes or topics within a collection of documents by analyzing patterns of word co-occurrence. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is the most widely used topic modeling algorithm. In accessibility research, topic…

Tower of Hanoi(also: Tower of Hanoi Task, Tower Task)

The Tower of Hanoi is a classic cognitive assessment puzzle used in neuropsychology and educational research to measure multi-step planning and executive function abilities. The task requires moving a set of discs or objects from one position to another according to specific…

Trouble-Indicating Behavior(also: TIB, Trouble Source-Repair)

Verbal or nonverbal behaviors that signal confusion, misunderstanding, or difficulty in communication. In research on dementia and human-robot interaction, TIBs are categorized into types including: requests for repetition, requests for clarification, metalinguistic comments ("I…

TrueSkill(also: TrueSkill Bayesian Rating)

A Bayesian skill-rating algorithm developed at Microsoft Research (Herbrich et al., 2007) that models each player or option as a normal distribution with a mean skill μ and uncertainty σ, updating both after each pairwise match. Originally designed for matchmaking in competitive…

28 results.