GOMS, the acronym for "Goals, Operators, Methods, Selection rules," is a formal model used to rigorously evaluate how efficiently a trained person can interact with a given software system or program, such as a word processor or spreadsheet. The theory is based on the ability to accumulate knowledge in order to efficiently perform human-computer tasks. These so-called cognitive skills (or knowledge gained through mental processes) are built upon processing information in a number of different stages or using various types of memory (e.g., sensory input and long-term memory) as a basis for strengthening learning and improving performance. The GOMS method was proposed by S.K. Card, T.P. Moran, and A. Newell in 1983 as a way to state a model for performance prediction of an experienced user of different text-editing systems.

Cognitive structure within the GOMS method consists of...