Visual Feedback and Skilled Keying: Differential Effects of Masking the Printed Copy and the Keyboard

The results of three experiments are reported. They were designed to substantiate the importance for skilled keying behaviour of information derived from the printed copy and the keyboard. Experiment 1 showed that consulting the copy and the keyboard during transcription constituted part of normal keying activity and that the frequency of consultation was a function of the specific demands of the task..Experiment 2, with no requirement to correct errors, and Experiment 3, with a requirement to correct errors, involved the independent masking of the copy and the keyboard as well as on unmasked control condition. Both experiments showed that an adverse effect on performance, as measured by speed and accuracy, occurred only in the keyboard masked condition. Experiment 3 revealed an additional adverse effect on performance, as measured by the reduced percentage of errors corrected, which occurred only in the copy masked condition. It was concluded that the keyboard provides ' guidance ' information, permitting the appropriate co-ordination of fingers and keys and the location of unfamiliar keys by sight, and the printed copy provides ' feedback ' information concerning the commission of errors. It is argued that the results resolve a contradiction reported in previous research and suggest that visual feedback has a continuing role even in highly practised skills, such as keying.