Interaction Tracking Module - Abstract Documentation

Purpose and Responsibility

Captures comprehensive user interaction patterns including keystroke dynamics, mouse movements, focus events, and behavioral analysis. Provides fine-grained temporal analysis of user behavior for cognitive load assessment and usability research.

Key Data Structures and Relationships

Core Tracking Architecture

  • InteractionSession: Complete interaction recording session with multi-modal data streams
  • KeystrokeEvent: Individual key events with timing, context, and correction analysis
  • MouseEvent: Mouse movements, clicks, and gestures with trajectory analysis
  • BehavioralPattern: High-level interaction patterns and cognitive load indicators

Interaction Taxonomy

  • KeyEventType: KeyDown, KeyUp, KeyPress with dwell time measurement
  • MouseEventType: Move, Click, DoubleClick, Scroll, Hover with velocity tracking
  • CorrectionType: Backspace, Delete, Cut, Overwrite, SelectAndReplace analysis
  • HesitationType: Pause classification and uncertainty detection

Context Integration

  • KeystrokeContext: Task association, input field identification, cursor position tracking
  • MouseContext: Target elements, click precision, movement efficiency
  • FocusEvents: Attention switching and window management behavior

Main Data Flows and Transformations

Real-time Collection Pipeline

  1. Event Capture: Low-level input event interception and timestamp recording
  2. Context Enrichment: UI element identification and task state correlation
  3. Feature Extraction: Timing intervals, movement metrics, correction patterns
  4. Quality Assessment: Event sequence validation and missing data detection

Analysis Pipeline

  1. Temporal Analysis: Inter-event intervals, dwell times, pause classification
  2. Spatial Analysis: Mouse trajectory smoothness, click accuracy, movement efficiency
  3. Behavioral Classification: Hesitation detection, correction pattern analysis
  4. Cognitive Load Estimation: Complexity indicators from interaction patterns

Pattern Recognition

  • Typing Dynamics: Individual biometric signatures from keystroke patterns
  • Hesitation Analysis: Pause detection and uncertainty quantification
  • Error Correction: Mistake identification and recovery strategy analysis
  • Attention Patterns: Focus switching and multitasking behavior

External Dependencies and Interfaces

Platform Input Systems

  • Operating System: Native input event hooks and accessibility APIs
  • Web Browser: JavaScript event handling and DOM interaction tracking
  • Mobile Platforms: Touch event processing and gesture recognition
  • Cross-Platform: Unified interface across different input modalities

UI Integration

  • Element Identification: Target UI component recognition and classification
  • Layout Awareness: Spatial relationship understanding for context analysis
  • State Synchronization: UI state correlation with interaction events

State Management Patterns

Session Lifecycle Management

Idle → Recording Started → Active Tracking → Analysis Processing → Export Ready

Real-time Processing

  • Event Buffer: Circular buffer for low-latency event processing
  • Context Cache: UI state caching for efficient context lookup
  • Pattern Accumulator: Incremental pattern detection and update

Quality Control

  • Event Validation: Temporal consistency and logical sequence checking
  • Missing Data: Gap detection and interpolation strategies
  • Noise Filtering: Spurious event removal and signal cleaning

Core Algorithms and Business Logic Abstractions

Keystroke Analysis

  • Dwell Time Calculation: Key press duration measurement and normalization
  • Inter-Key Intervals: Flight time between keystrokes for typing rhythm analysis
  • Correction Detection: Edit distance analysis and error recovery patterns
  • Typing Speed: Words per minute with accuracy adjustment

Mouse Movement Analysis

  • Trajectory Analysis: Path smoothness, directional changes, sub-movements
  • Velocity Profiling: Speed and acceleration patterns for motor control analysis
  • Target Acquisition: Click accuracy and approach strategy assessment
  • Gesture Recognition: Complex mouse patterns and interaction sequences

Behavioral Pattern Detection

  • Hesitation Identification: Pause classification and uncertainty markers
  • Cognitive Load Indicators: Interaction complexity and mental effort estimation
  • Attention Analysis: Focus duration and switching frequency measurement
  • Error Recovery: Mistake correction strategies and efficiency metrics

Temporal Dynamics

  • Rhythm Analysis: Periodic patterns in typing and interaction behavior
  • Micro-Pause Detection: Brief hesitations and processing delays
  • Flow State Indicators: Sustained interaction periods with minimal interruption
  • Fatigue Detection: Performance degradation patterns over time

Performance Considerations

  • Low-Latency Capture: Minimal overhead for real-time interaction recording
  • Memory Efficiency: Streaming processing with bounded memory usage
  • CPU Optimization: Efficient event processing without UI interference
  • Storage Optimization: Compressed event streams with configurable retention

Privacy and Security Implications

  • Sensitive Data: Keystroke content filtering and secure disposal
  • Biometric Privacy: Typing dynamics as personal identifiers
  • Screen Content: UI element identification without content recording
  • Consent Management: Granular permission control for different interaction types

Research Applications

  • Usability Testing: Interaction efficiency and user experience measurement
  • Cognitive Assessment: Mental workload and processing demand estimation
  • Behavioral Analysis: Individual differences in interaction strategies
  • Accessibility Research: Motor control and assistive technology evaluation

Experimental Integration

  • Task Synchronization: Interaction events correlated with experimental stimuli
  • Multi-modal Fusion: Integration with eye-tracking, physiological, and audio data
  • Real-time Feedback: Live interaction quality indicators for participant guidance
  • Longitudinal Analysis: Learning and adaptation patterns over extended sessions