Computer-Based Procedural Performance as a Function of Window Size and Format Type

The present experiment examined the effect of three levels of format (flowchart, menu, and extended text), two levels of window size (6-line and lg-line), two levels of procedural plan (Plan A and Plan B), and two levels of gender (male and female) on task completion speed and performance accuracy. A computer-based procedure display task was employed to measure subject performance on three dependent variables; the overall task completion time, the decision time between steps, and the performance accuracy on steps executed. Plans A and B were examined for equal cognitive complexity using a logical analysis prior to the start of the experiment. The plans had an equal amount of executable statements, some of which were termed "hard" and others that were "easy". The hard statements were those that had nested IF-THEN statements, while easy statements were direct commands. The results revealed that the flowchart format required the longest completion times and the menu format the shortest for subjects. Completion times were significantly longer for Plan B. A significant interaction occurred between the Format and Plan variables; Plan B took significantly longer to complete using the flowchart format. Subjects were found to have the longest decision times when using the extended text format and the shortest when using the menu format. Decision times were significantly longer for subjects who used the 18-line window across all three format types. Subjects performed the task with greater accuracy when using the 6-line window.