A usability and performance analysis of multiple monitor displays and multitasking

This study was designed to examine the impact of multiple monitor use on user performance. Additionally, multitasking was evaluated as a mediational factor in performance. Twenty four students were tasked to create a web page using Macromedia’s Dreamweaver , as well as several video tutorials, Microsoft Office applications, and a web browser. Twelve participants interacted with a four-monitor display, and twelve used a traditional single-monitor setup. Those who used the quad-panel display were more inclined to multitask, where multitasking was evaluated between application windows, not between monitors – i.e. not exclusive to the multiple monitor setup. Participants of the multiple monitor group also scored more favorably on performance measures than those using the single monitor. In addition, users who multitasked finished objectives more quickly than those who used a sequential approach. Qualitative analysis also revealed usability issues within each setup.

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