Individual User Differences Research Articles

Older Adults’ Performance in Technology-Based Tasks: Cognitive Ability and Beyond

Considering both demographic and technological changes in society, the potential of technology to support older adults has recently attracted much attention. For physically frail individuals with cognitive impairment, user-friendly technologies may facilitate activities of daily living. The current study assessed the performance of older adults without cognitive impairment (n = 27) and with mild cognitive impairment (n = 26) using three types of technology. Relationships between performance in the technology-based tasks and cognitive abilities (e.g., visual-spatial abilities), personality characteristics (e.g., self-efficacy), and previous technology experience were examined using a mixed-methods approach including video analyses and psychological testing. Findings underscore that both cognitive abilities and personality-related characteristics contribute to individual differences in users' performance. Nuanced knowledge of older adults' specific difficulties, abilities, and resources may help improve the fit between user needs and technological requirements, with implications for technology developers and practitioners.

Cognitive and Environmental Factors Influencing the Process of Spatial Knowledge Acquisition within Virtual Reality Environments

As the fidelity of virtual environments (VE) continues to increase, the possibility of using them as training platforms is becoming increasingly realistic for a variety of application domains, including military and emergency personnel training. In the past, there was much debate on whether the acquisition and subsequent transfer of spatial knowledge from VEs to the real world is possible, or whether the differences in medium during training would essentially be an obstacle to truly learning geometric space. In this paper, the authors present various cognitive and environmental factors that not only contribute to this process, but also interact with each other to a certain degree, leading to a variable exposure time requirement in order for the process of spatial knowledge acquisition (SKA) to occur. The cognitive factors that the authors discuss include a variety of individual user differences such as: knowledge and experience; cognitive gender differences; aptitude and spatial orientation skill; and finally, cognitive styles. Environmental factors discussed include: Size, Spatial layout complexity and landmark distribution. It may seem obvious that since every individual's brain is unique - not only through experience, but also through genetic predisposition that a one size fits all approach to training would be illogical. Furthermore, considering that various cognitive differences may further emerge when a certain stimulus is present (e.g. complex environmental space), it would make even more sense to understand how these factors can impact spatial memory, and to try to adapt the training session by providing visual/auditory cues as well as by changing the exposure time requirements for each individual. The impact of this research domain is important to VE training in general, however within service and military domains, guaranteeing appropriate spatial training is critical in order to ensure that disorientation does not occur in a life or death scenario.

Event-Related Assessment of Hypermedia-Based E-Learning Materials With an HRVBased Method That Considers Individual Differences in Users

This paper reports results of an assessment of e-learning materials with the INTERFACE software evaluation methodology. On the one hand, this method of analysis allows us to identify ergonomics problems; on the other, to decide to what extent those problems and their severity concern all users in general and to what extent they depend on the users ‘ type and characteristics. This is the first publication to apply the new marking, export, and statistical features of INTERFACE used in a quantitative analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) curves instead of earlier time-based statistics and qualitative methods. It presents correlations between event-related characteristics of human-computer interaction and the currently required mental effort showed with HRV. The paper also discusses correlations between variables and cognitive-style test scores which indicate the role of individual differences in ergonomics.

User sensitive research in e-learning: exploring the role of individual user characteristics

The increasing need for active and accessible learning in the inclusive knowledge society drives the demand for e-learning that engages users much more effectively than ever before. In this context, it is crucial to conduct research that embraces innovation in user sensitive design, or else influential individual user differences may be overlooked. The objective of this paper is to explore the creation of successful e-learning systems that are able to increase users’ learning performance and enhance their personal learning experiences. The paper reports two converging and complimentary approaches, namely case studies and experimentation. First, case studies are used to explore the extent to which effective e-learning systems comply with eight specific factors. Of the eight, accessibility, individual differences and student modeling turn out to be the weakest points in current practice. Second, an empirical study investigates the influences of user individual user differences on users’ learning outcomes in an e-learning environment. The experiment found that individual differences in motivation to learn and expectations about e-learning significantly impacted users’ learning achievements. Third, based on these studies, improvements in research methodology are identified towards greater consideration of user sensitive research issues, thus enabling us to outline improved experimental procedures. Further experiment results should provide us with better insights into the arguments needed to carefully assess benefits of developing and involving a user model in an e-learning application. Consequently, evaluation and justification could now encompass both system performance as well as user performance.

Exploring individual user differences in the 2D/3D interaction with medical image data

User-centered design is often performed without regard to individual user differences. In this paper, we report results of an empirical study aimed to evaluate whether computer experience and demographic user characteristics would have an effect on the way people interact with the visualized medical data in a 3D virtual environment using 2D and 3D input devices. We analyzed the interaction through performance data, questionnaires and observations. The results suggest that differences in gender, age and game experience have an effect on people’s behavior and task performance, as well as on subjective user preferences.

Individual differences and usage behavior

A critical assumption of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is that its belief constructs - perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) - fully mediate the influence of external variables on IT usage behavior. If this assumption is true, researchers can effectively "assume away" the effects of broad categories of external variables, those relating to the specific task, the technology, and user differences. One recent study did indeed find that belief constructs fully mediated individual differences, and its authors suggest that further studies with similar results could pave the way for simpler acceptance models that ignore such differences. To test the validity of these authors' results, we conducted a similar study to determine the effect of staff seniority, age, and education level on usage behavior. Our study involved 106 professional and administrative staff in the IT division of a large manufacturing company who voluntarily use email and word processing. We found that these individual user differences have significant direct effects on both the frequency and volume of usage. These effects are beyond the indirect effects as mediated through the TAM belief constructs. Thus, rather than corroborating the recent study, our findings underscore the importance of users' individual differences and suggest that TAM's belief constructs are accurate but incomplete predictors of usage behavior.

The effects and interaction of spatial visualization and domain expertise on information seeking

Information seeking skills are becoming increasingly important as rapid and widespread developments in technology have made information available in more formats and from more sources than ever before. Research in human computer interaction (HCI) has demonstrated that primary cognitive abilities represent a powerful predictor of information-seeking success in electronic information systems. Specifically, spatial visualization ability (SVA) seems to be particularly related to hierarchical menus systems navigation within databases, online learning environments, information archival systems, and virtually all internet web sites. Research indicates that individuals with low SVA take longer to complete tasks and experience more errors on first attempts to find information in hierarchical databases compared to those with high SVA. Understanding the influences of SVA as well as its interaction with other aspects of individual differences, such as domain expertise, is critical to the design of systems intended to accommodate individual differences in users. Thirty-five college students (23 males and 12 females) were selected from the general student body of two universities and assigned to groups based upon their self-reported membership in one of two specific disciplines: business ( n=26) or biology ( n=9). Participants were then assigned to groups based upon scores on tests of SVA using a median-split. Each participant conducted five searches: one neutral search, two searches for business related information, and two searches for biology related information using the FirstSearch archival search tool. A 2×2 factorial Analysis of Variance with one between-groups variable (high vs. low SVA) and one within-group variable (high vs. low domain expertise) indicated a significant main effect of SVA as well as a significant main effect of Domain Expertise on the time required to find their first relevant article on the search topic. The analysis also revealed that there was no main effect for SVA on the total number of relevant articles found during the search period but there was a significant main effect of Domain Expertise on the total total-number-of-relevant-articles found. There was no interaction between SVA and Domain Expertise on either time to first article or total number of articles found. Results of the study extend existing knowledge regarding the effects of SVA and domain expertise on information seeking by demonstrating a strong effect of SVA and domain expertise on information seeking skills. The results of this study also provide evidence in support of interface designs that are friendlier to information seekers who have low SVA. Related findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.

The effects and interaction of spatial visualization and domain expertise on information seeking

Information seeking skills are becoming increasingly important as rapid and widespread developments in technology have made information available in more formats and from more sources than ever before. Research in human computer interaction (HCI) has demonstrated that primary cognitive abilities represent a powerful predictor of information-seeking success in electronic information systems. Specifically, spatial visualization ability (SVA) seems to be particularly related to hierarchical menus systems navigation within databases, online learning environments, information archival systems, and virtually all internet web sites. Research indicates that individuals with low SVA take longer to complete tasks and experience more errors on first attempts to find information in hierarchical databases compared to those with high SVA. Understanding the influences of SVA as well as its interaction with other aspects of individual differences, such as domain expertise, is critical to the design of systems intended to accommodate individual differences in users. Thirty-five college students (23 males and 12 females) were selected from the general student body of two universities and assigned to groups based upon their self-reported membership in one of two specific disciplines: business ( n =26) or biology ( n =9). Participants were then assigned to groups based upon scores on tests of SVA using a median-split. Each participant conducted five searches: one neutral search, two searches for business related information, and two searches for biology related information using the FirstSearch archival search tool. A 2×2 factorial Analysis of Variance with one between-groups variable (high vs. low SVA) and one within-group variable (high vs. low domain expertise) indicated a significant main effect of SVA as well as a significant main effect of Domain Expertise on the time required to find their first relevant article on the search topic. The analysis also revealed that there was no main effect for SVA on the total number of relevant articles found during the search period but there was a significant main effect of Domain Expertise on the total total-number-of-relevant-articles found. There was no interaction between SVA and Domain Expertise on either time to first article or total number of articles found. Results of the study extend existing knowledge regarding the effects of SVA and domain expertise on information seeking by demonstrating a strong effect of SVA and domain expertise on information seeking skills. The results of this study also provide evidence in support of interface designs that are friendlier to information seekers who have low SVA. Related findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Place-pitch and excitation patterns in cochlear implant listeners

In cochlear implants (CIs), an electrode’s pitch is largely determined by the excitation pattern produced by stimulation. For CI users, is pitch perception most strongly influenced by the peak, edge or some intermediate location within the excitation pattern? By varying the stimulation mode at four evenly spaced electrode locations, four spectral profiles were hypothesized: single-peaked, apically weighted, basally weighted or multi-peaked (with an intermediate pitch). Forward-masked excitation patterns and pitch judgments were obtained for the four electrode locations, for all experimental stimulation modes, relative to a standard set of BP1 electrodes. Results showed individual differences in CI users’ excitation patterns and pitch judgments produced by the different stimulation modes. Most subjects’ pitch judgments were sensitive to single, sharp peaks in the excitation pattern; however, subjects differed in their sensitivity to broader, multi-peaked patterns. For widely spaced electrode configurations, some subjects consistently judged pitch according to the apical edge of stimulation, some to the basal edge and others to an intermediate location. For some electrode locations, varying the stimulation mode produced significantly different pitches and excitation patterns. Future speech processing strategies may wish to combine stimulation modes to improve the spectral resolution available with a fixed number of implanted electrodes.

Computer-mediated knowledge sharing and individual user differences: an exploratory study

Prior research has shown that individual differences in users' cognitive style and gender can have a significant effect on their usage and perceived usefulness of management information systems. We argue that these differences may also extend to computer-mediated knowledge management systems (KMS), although previous research has not tested this empirically. Where employees are expected to use KMS for acquiring and sharing knowledge, we posit that some will gain more benefit than others, due to their innate personal characteristics, specifically gender and cognitive style. Based on a sample of 212 software developers in one large IS organization, we re-open these dormant debates about the effects of cognitive style and gender on technology usage. The paper contains four main findings. First, we present support for the proposition that cognitive style has an impact on KMS usage, although not for all components of the system. Second, that gender significantly affects KMS usage, with males being more likely to use such systems than females. Third, we find a small interaction effect between cognitive style and gender, but only for the use of data mining. Finally, the data suggest that there is a strong association between KMS usage levels and perceived usefulness. We conclude that if organizations do not recognize the inherent diversity of the workforce, and accommodate gender and cognitive style differences into their knowledge management strategies, they may be likely to propagate an intrinsic disadvantage, to the detriment of females and intuitive thinkers.

Virtual Contact: The Continuum from Purely Visual to Purely Physical

Providing appropriate cues to users when interacting with objects in immersive virtual environments (IVEs) is a difficult task. In addition to individual user differences, environmental factors, and task-specific requirements, the technological complexity of the current state of the art in haptic feedback further increases the difficulty. Though the technology continues to improve, we are still a long way from having haptic feedback that meets the demands of a “general solution” to the problem. This paper focuses on ways of providing effective contact cues in IVEs, starting with purely-visual approaches and moving along a continuum to the use of actual physical objects as high-fidelity interfaces.

Factors influencing the utilization of Internet purchasing in small organizations

Many companies have jumped on the Internet bandwagon in an attempt to get rich quick in today’s marketplace. While there have been numerous success stories, the amount of reported failures has been extremely high. In spite of all the recent failures, a select few organizations have been able to use e-commerce as a means to increase the overall profitability of their firm. An often-overlooked factor in website effectiveness and development is the effect of individual user differences on the acceptance of the new technology. This exploratory study examines how individual user views and preferences affect the use of the Internet as a purchasing medium. This research presents an exploratory study of data gathered through a survey of 416 customers of a major Internet retailer of commodity office supplies. Cluster analysis is employed to develop a model that classifies users of Internet purchasing into six distinct groups. The clusters are developed using a variety of items that measure end users’ viewpoints and preferences regarding the Internet as a purchasing medium. These factors are based on the widely supported Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The classification system is then used to demonstrate how these groups vary on strategic items, cost issues and individual productivity measures. The findings provide important insights to companies seeking to capitalize on the Internet as a retailing channel by identifying factors that may lead to a loyal customer base rather than an opportunistic one that switches sites frequently solely to obtain lower prices.

Incorporating clinical diagnoses in the prediction of performance on computer-based tasks for low vision users

Researchers focusing on investigations of human-computer interaction are developing a heightened awareness of the challenges that impede universal access to information technologies. Furthermore, researchers are acknowledging that low vision computer users represent a sizeable portion of the computing community for whom information technologies must be made available if we are to claim successful universal access.The low vision computing community represents a vast array of visual capabilities and limitations. Thus, it has been challenging for researchers to characterize this community in a meaningfully empirical way. As a result, research and design to-date have depicted low vision computer users as a single collection of individuals possessing comparable capabilities, limitations and needs. The danger is that researchers and designers overlook the individual differences in low vision computer users that render each of them more or less able to effectively utilize computing technologies.Investigations of human-computer interactions should include clinical profiles that capture the essence of the visual capabilities of the population in question. This will enable adequate representation of the individual differences that exist between low vision computer users. In addition, we must understand (Jacko & Sears, 1998):• how a person's visual profile drives system configuration choices,• how changes in one's visual profile motivate transitions from one configuration to another, and• how visual profiles drive the interaction strategies that are adopted during task execution.The author, a member of the ACM and Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was awarded a five-year, $500,000 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) to investigate these and related issues in her research titled, "Universal Access to the Graphical User Interface: Design for the Partially Sighted." Jacko was one of twenty National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported researchers to receive the award.The research is a collaborative effort with ophthalmologists from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine, the Digital Signal Processing Laboratory at Florida International University, and The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind.

Intelligent Support Mechanisms in Adaptable Human-Computer Interfaces

Advanced production technology is not only characterized by higher automation of production flow and control, but more and more measured at the level of the ergonomics of man-machine interaction. Although much effort has been devoted to user friendly design and improved interface techniques, today's systems do not take into account their individual user's problems and tasks. One possible answer to this problem is the design of ‘cooperative’, adaptable or adaptive user interfaces. The idea proposed is to adapt interface behavior (presentation and dialog control) on account of individual user differences or user problems, by reasoning about user intensions in situational work contexts. This paper presents the theory behind and an approach for design of adaptable/adaptive human-computer interfaces for software applications in the field of production technology, exemplified by a shop floor technology planning tool.