The validity of rational criteria for the interpretation of user-hypertext interaction

Abstract This study is about how to interpret users interactions with multimedia systems, in particular their interaction with hypertext. It is generally admitted that our knowledge of how to interpret users search paths in information systems is very limited. Further, there are also controversies about the validity of the import of rational criteria, such as recall, precision and economy, from the domain of information retrieval to the interpretation of users behaviour. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relevance of these criteria to human behaviour. The results of two experiments show the rational criteria such as precision and economy seem to be irrelevant criteria for the interpretation of users search paths in terms of recall, except when the user’s task is simple to achieve and constrained (i.e. a task where subjects have to find precisely a small number of relevant information units in a simple system). In the latter case precision and economy are positiviely correlated with recall. For less simple and unconstrained tasks, the performance of subjects seems to be much more influenced by strategic considerations. Further, it was shown that task constraints lead to more precise performance. Apparently subjects spend more effort under these circumstances to search precisely than in conditions without pressure.