Empirical Language

It now has to be built a bridge from the concept of measuring to the subject area of human-system-environment interaction (HSEI). This requires a descriptive language $L_{des}$ which allows to talk about the usability of a system S by the user U in a certain context E such that this crosstalk can be measured in the empirical situation.

The theme of the linking of linguistic expressions with empirically demonstrable facts in a way that it is completely clear what is 'meant' by the author is highly debated in the philosophy of the empirical sciences , especially in the period 1930-1970. This produced a variety of theoretical explanations (cf. the keywords 'operationalization' in the handbook of Braun and Radermacher (1978)[16] and the keywords 'definition' and 'observation language' in Mittelstraß (1995)[103], and the term 'measurement' in Mittelstraß(1995) [104]. The overall result is generally daunting, as it is clear that there exists for this question no complete transparency and clarity. But, on the other hand, this analysis has enabled a deeper understanding of the complexity inherent in the observation of empirical processes and their scientific descriptions (in the German-speaking countries can be find a very comprehensive summary of all these discussions in the writings of Wolfgang Stegmüller (1969 - 1974) 'Problems and results of the Theory of Science as well as of the Analytical Philosophy'.Very helpful is also the survey of Suppe (1979)[146].

Although the problem of operationalization of the observation language can not be considered truly been solved, in the field of computer science has been emerged the practice to minimize the problem in that one first introduces some concrete interface with its main properties. By this procedure one has local reference objects to which one can refer. Example: If as part of the system interface SI a graphical interface defines the specific areas which provide reference points, which in turn have other properties such as certain forms and colors, certain texts, etc., then you can substantiate the interaction of a user U with such a graphical interface through direct reference to this particular property bundles. This holds even for the 'interface' of the user U (i.e. his surface of the body like sensory organs, actuators,...) as well as for the relevant parts of the environment E (spatial regions, objects, specifying properties ...). However, not solved is the problem how the incredibly large amounts of possible states of today's modern technological systems can be examined purely manually.