|
The
issue of how best to present wide-range, high-precision numerical
information in the context of a computer display is the focus
of this study. Two experiments will be discussed, one of which
has already been carried out, the other of which is currently
in progress. Both present subjects with a variety of digital and
graphical (bar) gauges. Subjects are instructed to choose the
gauge displaying the largest number. The first experiment tested
several varieties of graphical gauges in addition to the basic
digital gauge, differing on orientation (horizontal or vertical)
and type of label (moving or fixed). Displayed numbers were divided
into three color ranges so that the effects of color on comparative
judgments could also be examined. A task analysis was proposed
to model the cognitive processes involved, but contrary to the
predictions generated, it was found that the five types of gauges
used in the experiment did not lead to significant differences
in reaction time or accuracy, although comparisons in which numbers
fall into different color ranges were significantly faster than
comparisons in which color differences did not occur. The second
experiment proposes a new cognitive model of the comparison task
and tests it using a slightly different assortment of gauges.
Following the presentation of these two
experiments, future directions for the gauges study will be discussed
|
