Relationship between handwriting and keyboarding performance among fast and slow adult keyboarders.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the relationship between handwriting and keyboarding performance and between these writing modes and underlying performance skills.


METHODS
Sixty-three young, healthy adults who used the computer daily were recruited for this study by means of a convenience sample (mean = 25.3, standard deviation = 3.0); 15 were slow keyboarders and 17 were fast keyboarders. Participants were administered handwriting and keyboarding assessments, as well as measures of finger function, kinesthetic processing, and eye movement.


RESULTS
Although handwriting and keyboarding speed were moderately correlated, these activities did not share underlying performance skills. In addition, different correlation patterns between written communication modes and performance skills were found among slow and fast keyboarders.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that occupational therapists and educators should consider a variety of factors before recommending keyboarding as an alternative written communication method for people with handwriting difficulties. Moreover, different recommendations appear to be warranted for slow and fast keyboarders.
School of Occupational Therapy, Hadassah and the Hebrew University, P.O. Box 24026, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel, msnwei@mscc.huji.ac.il
Naomi
N
Weintraub
Naomi
N
Gilmour-Grill
Patricia L Tamar
PL
Weiss
D000328:Adult; D016287:Computer Peripherals; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult