User performance effects with graphical icons and training for elderly novice users: A case study on automatic teller...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Gerontology
• Usability Engineering

Background:

• Elderly novice users often face challenges with complex interfaces like automatic teller machines (ATMs).
• Traditional text-based interfaces may not be optimal for this demographic.
• Effective design is crucial for improving technology adoption among older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of graphical icons versus text-based interfaces on ATM task performance for elderly novice users.
• To assess the effect of training and interface design on both immediate and long-term user performance.
• To determine if graphical icons can enhance learning and retention of ATM usage in older adults.

Main Methods:

• 124 elderly novice ATM users were divided into a control group (text-based interface) and an experimental group (graphical icon interface).
• Participants underwent training on three core ATM tasks.
• Performance was measured via task completion scores in an immediate post-training test and a follow-up test one month later.

Main Results:

• Training improved ATM task performance for all elderly novice users.
• A significant decline in performance was observed one month after training compared to immediate results.
• The experimental group using graphical icons significantly outperformed the control group in both immediate and delayed tests, particularly the latter.

Conclusions:

• Graphical icons enhance both the learning and retention of ATM usage for elderly novice users.
• Icons can mitigate the performance decline associated with traditional training methods and reduce forgetting.
• Well-designed graphical interfaces are beneficial for elderly users throughout the learning and retention phases, informing future public technology design.