Cognitive Audit

Analyze cognitive load and mental model clarity.

Purpose

Ensure users can understand and use the system without excessive mental effort. Based on cognitive psychology principles:

•Miller's Law: 7±2 items in working memory
•Hick's Law: Decision time increases with choices
•Cognitive Load Theory: Intrinsic, extraneous, germane load

Checks Performed

1. Information Density

Check	Threshold	Severity
Items per screen	≤ 7 primary	High
Choices per decision	≤ 5 options	Medium
Nested levels	≤ 3 deep	Medium
Form fields visible	≤ 7 at once	Medium

2. Jargon and Clarity

Check	Detection
Technical terms without explanation	Acronyms, industry jargon
Inconsistent terminology	Same concept, different names
Ambiguous labels	Vague button/link text
Error message clarity	User-actionable guidance

3. Navigation Complexity

Check	Threshold
Clicks to core action	≤ 3
Menu depth	≤ 2 levels
Breadcrumb availability	Required for depth > 1

4. Decision Points

Pattern	Risk
Modal on modal	High cognitive load
Multiple CTAs	Decision paralysis
Unclear primary action	User confusion
Destructive actions without warning	Error prone

Usage

bash

# Full UI audit
./scripts/cognitive-audit.sh

# Documentation focus
./scripts/cognitive-audit.sh --scope docs

# Strict thresholds
./scripts/cognitive-audit.sh --threshold strict

Output Format

markdown

## Cognitive Audit Report

**Scope:** UI
**Threshold:** Moderate
**Date:** 2025-01-20

### Information Density

| Page | Items | Status | Notes |
|------|-------|--------|-------|
| Dashboard | 12 | ⚠️ | Consider grouping |
| Settings | 8 | ⚠️ | Use tabs/sections |
| Card detail | 5 | ✅ | Good focus |

### Jargon Analysis

| Term | Occurrences | Suggestion |
|------|-------------|------------|
| "webhook" | 8 | Add tooltip or glossary |
| "idempotent" | 3 | Replace with "safe to retry" |
| "ETL" | 2 | Spell out on first use |

### Navigation Complexity

| Action | Current Clicks | Target | Status |
|--------|----------------|--------|--------|
| Create card | 2 | ≤ 3 | ✅ |
| Access settings | 3 | ≤ 3 | ✅ |
| Export data | 5 | ≤ 3 | ❌ |

### Decision Hotspots

| Location | Issue | Recommendation |
|----------|-------|----------------|
| Card actions menu | 8 options | Group into submenus |
| Onboarding | 3 equal CTAs | Highlight primary path |
| Delete confirmation | Double negative | Rephrase clearly |

### Recommendations

1. **HIGH**: Reduce dashboard items from 12 to 7 with smart grouping
2. **HIGH**: Add progressive disclosure to settings page
3. **MEDIUM**: Create glossary for technical terms
4. **LOW**: Shorten export data flow

Cognitive Load Principles

Miller's Law (7±2)

Working memory can hold 7±2 items. Apply to:

•Navigation menu items
•Form fields visible at once
•Options in a dropdown
•Steps in a wizard

Hick's Law

RT = a + b * log2(n) where n = number of choices

More choices = longer decision time. Reduce by:

•Highlighting recommended option
•Progressive disclosure
•Smart defaults

Cognitive Load Types

Type	Description	Reduce By
Intrinsic	Inherent complexity	Break into steps
Extraneous	Poor design	Simplify UI
Germane	Learning effort	Good mental models