Display-control compatibility: the relationship between performance and judgments of performance

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Cognitive Psychology
• Usability Engineering

Background:

• Understanding user perception of display-control mappings is crucial for intuitive interface design.
• Previous research has explored factors influencing usability but direct judgment accuracy remains an area for investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the ability of individuals to accurately assess the usability of various display-control mappings.
• To identify the characteristics of mappings that facilitate or hinder accurate usability judgments.

Main Methods:

• Participants were presented with pairs of display-control mapping alternatives in a questionnaire format.
• A range of stimuli, from simple shapes to semantic content, were employed to test different mapping types.
• Participant choices were recorded and analyzed based on the correctness of their usability assessment.

Main Results:

• Correct usability judgments were predominant when mappings exhibited clear spatial relationships between displays and controls.
• Judgment accuracy significantly decreased for mappings that did not rely solely on spatial congruence.
• Stimulus type influenced judgment accuracy, with simpler stimuli potentially yielding more consistent results.

Conclusions:

• Spatial congruence is a primary factor enabling accurate user judgments of display-control mapping usability.
• Interfaces relying on non-spatial relationships require careful design to avoid user error in usability assessment.
• Future design guidelines should prioritize unambiguous spatial mappings and consider stimulus complexity.