THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE ANIMATION PREDISPOSITION OF USERS OF ANIMATED AGENTS IN MS OFFICE

Even the most advanced users may experience anxiety, hesitation, and fear when they interact with computers (Seaward, 1998). People constantly have to upgrade their skills, learn new versions of software or totally new products, understand complex interfaces, and change their human-computer interaction (HCI) behavior. In order to address the challenging task of supporting users in their interactions with computer systems, software designers supply their software applications with help features. The goal of help systems is to provide users with important, useful, timely, and easy-to-understand information within the very specific context of a user’s lack of adeptness or familiarity with a particular task (Randall & Pedersen, 1998). Early help facilities represented paper documentation, books, reference guides, and tutorials. In the 1980s, software products began to have some sort of embedded software-based assistance marketed under the label of ‘online help’ (Bergman & Keene-Moore, 1985). Help authors aimed to improve a system’s usability, experimented with different ways to present information, and emphasized user-friendliness of help facilities. In the 1990s, action-sensitive, context-aware, artificial intelligence-based, and intelligent coaching help systems emerged (Breuker, 1998). The purpose of those help applications was to predict when a user needs assistance rather than passively waiting for a request. For example, the incorporation of context-sensitive tool tips has shown to be a good way to improve the usability of virtually any interfaces including Webpages. The implementation of clickable icons or ‘show me’ buttons does not require an individual to switch from one interface to another which reduces his or her cognitive load, improves productivity, and increases satisfaction with the system (Chalmers, 2003). For the past decade, researchers have begun to experiment with the incorporation of animated, human, or cartoon-like agents in the graphical user interface of help systems.