This is not a new direction. UI design was scientifically-based long before the phrase UX was coined.
Just a couple examples:
-The CHI conference started in 1982, and the content has always been primarily scientific research on UI
-This book from 1983 has been very influential on the evolution of UI: http://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Human-Computer-Interaction-...
Just a couple examples: -The CHI conference started in 1982, and the content has always been primarily scientific research on UI -This book from 1983 has been very influential on the evolution of UI: http://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Human-Computer-Interaction-...