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Effects of Target Density and Graphics Presentation Style on Search Time and Reports of Usability and Preference

Effects of Target Density and Graphics Presentation Style on Search Time and Reports of Usability and Preference
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Author(s): Jantawan Noiwan (Prince of Songkla University, Thailand)and Henry H. Emurian (University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA)
Copyright: 2001
Pages: 5
Source title: Managing Information Technology in a Global Economy
Source Editor(s): Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (Information Resources Management Association, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-930708-07-5.ch027
ISBN13: 9781930708075
EISBN13: 9781466665323

Abstract

This experiment investigated the effects of target word density (i.e., high, medium, and low) and Web page presentation style (i.e., no graphics, static graphics, and animated graphics) on search time and user preferences. Nine Web pages were developed reflecting all combinations of target word density, determined by the number of targets embedded within a 200-word text display, and presentation style. Sixteen undergraduate students from a Systems Analysis and Design class participated. The task required the selection, using the mouse, of the embedded target words in each of the nine Web pages. A full-factorial within-subjects design was used, and the order of presentation of the nine pages was randomly determined for each student. The results showed a significant effect of target density on search time. Search time on low-density pages was significantly briefer than on high-density pages, an outcome that validated the experimental protocol. No significant effect was found for page presentation style, and the interaction between target density and presentation style was not significant. Self-report data showed that static graphics pages and animated graphics pages were sometimes perceived differently in terms of usability and aesthetics, and both styles were perceived as visually appealing to users.

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