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Effects of activation method and mental effort on touchscreen task performance for users with and without upper extremity motor control disabilities

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Abstract

The rise in popularity of touchscreens supports the need for improving the usability and accessibility of the technology for users with varying abilities. Touchscreen activation methods (tapping, take-off) can help address these issues but may have trade-offs (longer time to complete task). This study evaluated tapping and take-off touchscreen activation methods during a multi-item selection activity. Participants with (n = 10) and without (n = 10) motor control disabilities affecting upper extremity function (+MCD and −MCD, respectively) completed an experimental task to select four items from a list using either tapping or take-off activation with two different levels of mental effort (memorization vs. no memorization). Fewer errors (29 vs. 21 %, p = .018) but longer task completion times (14.3 vs. 9.04 s, p = .007) were observed for take-off vs. tapping. Error rate doubled for memorization compared to no memorization (33.5 vs. 16.5 %, p = .002). Both +MCD and −MCD groups had fewer errors using the take-off method, but tapping was preferred, had fewer misses and required less task completion time during a menu selection activity. For tablet touchscreen menu selection applications for individuals with and without upper extremity motor control disabilities, take-off activation method is more accurate than tapping though tapping is preferred, has fewer misses and requires less task completion time. Additional mental demand leads to an increase in the number of errors during touchscreen operation.

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Acknowledgments

The contents of this paper were developed with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H133E080022 (RERC on Universal Interface & Information Technology Access). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trace R&D Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2118 Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Amrish Chourasia & Mary Sesto

  2. Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 5110 Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Mary Sesto

  3. Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2107 Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Mary Sesto & Katherine Kuehn

  4. Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 3214 Mechanical Engineering Bldg, 1513 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Douglas Wiegmann

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  1. Amrish Chourasia
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  4. Douglas Wiegmann
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Correspondence to Mary Sesto.

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Chourasia, A., Sesto, M., Kuehn, K. et al. Effects of activation method and mental effort on touchscreen task performance for users with and without upper extremity motor control disabilities. Univ Access Inf Soc 16, 469–481 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0471-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0471-2

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