Electronic paper display preferred viewing distance and character size for different age groups

This study explores the preferred viewing distance and character size for an electronic paper display for three age groups. Proofreading speed and accuracy ratio were measured during Chinese proofreading tests using the preferred character size and minimum acceptable character size. Data analysis showed that the mean preferred viewing distance for young, middle-aged and older groups was 503, 455 and 444 mm, respectively. The mean preferred character size determined by young, middle-aged and older groups was 42.0, 50.0 and 55.2 min arc, respectively. The proofreading test results indicated that the older group proofread significantly more slowly (1.25word/sec) than the young (1.76 word/sec) and middle-aged groups (1.74 word/sec). Further, the participants proofread more correctly with their preferred character size (73.3%) than with their minimum acceptable character size (65.4%). This study provides valuable information for the design of Chinese text presentations for various agegroups. Statement of Relevance: This study confirmed the preferred viewing distance and character size for E-paper display were influenced by age. The preferred Chinese character size for young, middle-aged and older people was 42, 50 and 55 min arc, respectively. Therefore, the age factor should be considered for E-paper displays design and video display terminal (VDT) guidelines.

[1]  Kong-King Shieh,et al.  Effect of character size and lighting on legibility of electronic papers , 2008, Displays.

[2]  Manlai You,et al.  Applying image descriptors to the assessment of legibility in Chinese characters , 2003, Ergonomics.

[3]  Manlai You,et al.  The legibility threshold of Chinese characters in three-type styles , 2001 .

[4]  G. C. Joyce,et al.  The forces generated at the human elbow joint in response to imposed sinusoidal movements of the forearm , 1974, The Journal of physiology.

[5]  James Gaston Bloodsworth.  Legibility of Print. , 1993 .

[6]  W Jaschinski-Kruza,et al.  Eyestrain in VDU Users: Viewing Distance and the Resting Position of Ocular Muscles , 1991, Human factors.

[7]  Ching-Torng Lin,et al.  Ergonomic evaluation of three popular Chinese e-book displays for prolonged reading , 2007 .

[8]  Barbara S. Chaparro,et al.  Comparing the effects of text size and format on the readibility of computer-displayed Times New Roman and Arial text , 2003, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[9]  K. Shieh,et al.  Preferred viewing distance and screen angle of electronic paper displays. , 2007, Applied ergonomics.

[10]  Carol Bergfeld,et al.  Reading text from computer screens , 1987, CSUR.

[11]  Alan H. S. Chan,et al.  Effect of display factors on Chinese reading times, comprehension scores and preferences , 2005, Behav. Inf. Technol..

[12]  Kong-King Shieh,et al.  Effects of screen color combination, work-break schedule, and workpace on VDT viewing distance , 1997 .

[13]  C. Collins,et al.  Muscle tension during unrestrained human eye movements. , 1975, The Journal of physiology.

[14]  J. Birren,et al.  Handbook of Mental Health and Aging , 1992 .

[15]  Richard Furuta,et al.  Skimming electronic newspaper headlines: a study of typeface, point size, screen resolution, and monitor size , 1997, Inf. Process. Manag..

[16]  Kong-King Shieh,et al.  Effects of reflection and polarity on LCD viewing distance , 2000 .

[17]  Nong Ye,et al.  Interaction of Screen Distances, Screen Letter Heights and Source Document Distances , 1996, Interact. Comput..

[18]  Stephanie Jainta,et al.  Fixation Disparity: Binocular Vergence Accuracy for a Visual Display at Different Positions Relative to the Eyes , 2002, Hum. Factors.

[19]  W. Jaschinski.  Fixation disparity at different viewing distances and the preferred viewing distance in a laboratory near-vision task. , 1998, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[20]  H. Leibowitz,et al.  The Relation of Vergence Effort to Reports of Visual Fatigue Following Prolonged Near Work , 1990, Human factors.

[21]  H. L. Snyder,et al.  The Sensitivity of Response Measures of Alphanumeric Legibility to Variations in Dot Matrix Display Parameters , 1979, Human factors.

[22]  Sheue-Ling Hwang,et al.  Effects of anti-glare surface treatment, ambient illumination and bending curvature on legibility and visual fatigue of electronic papers , 2008, Displays.

[23]  Paul van Schaik,et al.  The influence of font type and line length on visual search and information retrieval in web pages , 2006, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[24]  M Rosenfield,et al.  Tonic vergence and vergence adaptation. , 1997, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.