Computer screen designs: Viewer judgments

This study examined viewer judgments about the readability and studyability of two sets of computer screens: a set of model displays and a set of real screens copied from CAI programs. The purpose was to identify constructs that could guide the design of computer screens used to display information in computer-assisted instruction, hypermedia, or on-line help applications. It also searched for any relationships among viewer preference and viewer field articulation (field-dependence/independence), conceptual style (relational/analytical), and gender. Findings based on multidimensional scaling techniques confirmed and further defined the existence of evaluative constructs based on visual complexity and organization. No generalizable effects for field articulation, conceptual style, or gender differences were found. Special thanks are due to Barbara Grabowski and Larry Ragan at Pennsylvania State University for aiding in the administration of the studies, and to Ernest Rakow at Memphis State University for providing helpful advice on statistical analyses.