title: Effects of user age and target-expansion methods on target-acquisition tasks using a mouse.
abstract: Target expansion, i.e., the increase of target size according to cursor movement, can be a practical scheme to improve the usability of target-selection tasks using a mouse. This study examined the effects of different user age groups and target-expansion methods on target-acquisition tasks with grouped icons. Twenty-eight subjects performed acquisition tasks under eight experimental conditions: combinations of four expansion areas (no, one-icon, fish-eye, and group expansion) and two expansion techniques (occlusion and push). Older users took longer to acquire targets than younger users; however, they showed no significant difference in accuracy. Target expansion did not substantially improve performance speed compared to the static condition. However, the error rate was lowest when group area was expanded with the push technique, and both age groups were most satisfied with one-icon area expansion with the occlusion technique. We suggest alternative guidelines in designing target-expansion schemes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial & Management Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), San 31, Hyoja, Pohang, 790-784, South Korea. bell7738@postech.ac.kr
authors.forename: Donghun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sunghyuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Min K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003196:Computer Graphics; D016287:Computer Peripherals; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult