In Human-Computer Interaction: Psychology as a Science of Design, John M. Carroll argues that human-computer interaction (HCI) is a science of design that illustrates the possibilities of understanding and supporting human beings through technology. Furthermore, Carroll shows how HCI is not just applied technology, but has a lot of basis in psychology. 

Carroll argues that HCI has evolved greatly over the years since it has drawn out a variety of problems in computing (and also created just as many solutions). In other words, HCI has proven to be a successful component of computer science research, development and applied psychology (62). HCI has been successful for technical reasons (i.e. elevating collaborative work) and cultural reasons (i.e. being the most visible part of computer science). Since HCI is a rapidly changing field, Carroll shows that it continues to broaden and evolve with the needs, abilities and preferences of users (67-68). Furthermore, it is evident that the discipline of HCI is critical to best advance usability, design, and cooperative activity of computing. Overall, Carroll shows the influence and importance of understanding human activities to come up with the best new tools for computing, which then creates a cycle that leads to new human activities and new tools (78). 

The argument that Carroll presented proved to be well thought-out, interesting and reliable. First, Carroll was able to track the history of HCI and the individuals who contributed the most to the field, which elevated his validity. For example, Carroll cited how HCI was included in the first edition of Handbook of Computer Science and Engineering (68). By showing the progress of the field, it is easier for the reader to understand the changes and context of HCI. In addition, the honesty and critiques related to HCI makes his argument more reliable. The author notes that there is a great deal of fragmentation and rifts in the field of HCI and computing (77). This detail makes the rest of Carroll’s writing more valid since he is candid and direct with the audience. Finally, this piece was interesting because the application of human based thinking with technology is extremely important. It was fascinating to read about the intersection of psychology and computing because human beings are the actual users of technology. Therefore, we should pay close attention to how humans use and interact with computers as it will affect the progression and future of technology.