Feed: Slashdot
Feed Link: https://slashdot.org/
---

Title: Do Cognitive Abilities Predict Performance in Everyday Computer Tasks?

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/04/13/0...

"Researchers say that a person's intelligence plays a bigger role in their
computer proficiency than previously believed," writes SciTechDaily, "so much
so that practice alone may not be enough to ensure ease of use." A new study
has found that general cognitive abilities, such as perception, reasoning,
and memory, are more important than previously believed in determining a
person's ability to perform everyday tasks on a computer... "It is clear that
differences between individuals cannot be eliminated simply by means of
training," says Antti Oulasvirta [a professor at Finland's Aalto University
who conducted extensive human-computer interaction research with his team and
the University of Helsinki Department of Psychology]. "In the future, user
interfaces need to be streamlined for simpler use. This age-old goal has been
forgotten at some point, and awkwardly designed interfaces have become a
driver for the digital divide. "We cannot promote a deeper and more equal use
of computers in society unless we solve this basic problem," Oulasvirta
says... This is the first-ever study to measure users' actual ability to
perform daily tasks on a PC, as previous studies have relied on participants
self-assessing their abilities via questionnaires... "The study revealed
that, in particular, working memory, attention, and executive functions stand
out as the key abilities. When using a computer, you must determine the order
in which things are done and keep in mind what has already been done. A
purely mathematical or logical ability does not help in the same way," says
university lecturer Viljami Salmela [from the University of Helsinki]. "Our
results suggest that contemporary user interfaces are getting so complex that
their design is starting to affect inclusivity," their paper concludes,
saying that it ultimately raises a question. "How can we design user
interfaces to decrease the role of cognitive abilities."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

---
VRSS v2.1.180528