Gender Differences in Interface Type Task Analysis

The three pillars of usability are efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction. Today's human-computer interface HCI, used in cellular phone, software, Internet, personal digital assistants and others should be designed to meet these three pillars. This research investigates the influence of two different interfaces on usability as they relate to gender. An experiment was conducted such that objective data were first captured while participants were performing specific image editing tasks, followed by a subjective evaluation of the participants' experience. The independent variables were gender and the interface. The dependent variables were task completion time, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Results suggest that males outperform females in new tasks while using a menu driven interface and both new and common tasks while using an icon based interface. Both genders seem to take longer time to complete the same task for both common and new using an icon based interface. It was also found that there was general agreement among gender and interface type on the level of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the image editing software used. Important differences in the distribution characteristics were noted. Implications for researchers and software developers are discussed.

[1]  Joan Hall,et al.  Gender, Experience and Attributions to the Computer , 1991 .

[2]  S. Gaulin,et al.  Superior spatial memory of women: Stronger evidence for the gathering hypothesis , 1997 .

[3]  Raafat George Saadé,et al.  First impressions last a lifetime: effect of interface type on disorientation and cognitive load , 2007, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[4]  Lily Shashaani,et al.  Gender and computers: similarities and differences in Iranian college students' attitudes toward computers , 2001, Comput. Educ..

[5]  S. Fiske,et al.  What's so special about sex? Gender stereotyping and discrimination. , 1993 .

[6]  David Benyon,et al.  Developing adaptive systems to fit individual aptitudes , 1993, IUI '93.

[7]  Jane M. Carey,et al.  Assessing the usability of icons in user interfaces , 1991 .

[8]  Deborah Compeau,et al.  Computer Self-Efficacy: Development of a Measure and Initial Test , 1995, MIS Q..

[9]  Thomas W. James,et al.  Sex differences in remembering the locations of objects in an array: Location-shifts versus location-exchanges , 1997 .

[10]  Eun-Ju Lee,et al.  Effects of "gender" of the computer on informational social influence: the moderating role of task type , 2003, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[11]  Alan Durndell,et al.  Computer self efficacy, computer anxiety, attitudes towards the Internet and reported experience with the Internet, by gender, in an East European sample , 2002, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[12]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Why Don't Men Ever Stop to Ask for Directions? Gender, Social Influence, and Their Role in Technology Acceptance and Usage Behavior , 2000, MIS Q..

[13]  Eszter Láng,et al.  Heart period variability as mental effort monitor in Human Computer Interaction , 2000, Behav. Inf. Technol..

[14]  E. Maccoby,et al.  The Psychology of Sex Differences , 1974 .

[15]  Boon Wan Tan,et al.  The impact of interface customization on the effect of cognitive style on information system success , 1991 .

[16]  Geoffrey S. Hubona,et al.  The gender factor performing visualization tasks on computer media , 2004, 37th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2004. Proceedings of the.

[17]  Alan Durndell,et al.  Gender and computing: persisting differences , 1995 .

[18]  TIM R.H. CUTMORE,et al.  Cognitive and gender factors influencing navigation in a virtual environment , 2000, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[19]  Sheila French.  Opting out?: women and on-line learning , 2005, CSOC.

[20]  D. Goldstein,et al.  Sex differences in visual-spatial ability: The role of performance factors , 1990, Memory & cognition.

[21]  Robert P. Bostrom,et al.  Training End Users: An Experimental Investigation of the Roles of the Computer Interface and Training Methods , 1993, MIS Q..

[22]  Marie-Thérèse Claes,et al.  Women, men and management styles , 1999 .

[23]  Joanna Lumsden.  Human-Computer Interaction and Innovation in Handheld, Mobile and Wearable Technologies , 2011 .

[24]  B. Shneiderman.  Human values and the future of technology: a declaration of empowerment , 1990, CQL '90.

[25]  Ellen Balka,et al.  Gender and skill in human computer interaction , 1996, CHI Conference Companion.

[26]  David Benyon,et al.  Experience with Adaptive Interfaces , 1988, Comput. J..

[27]  Kathleen Hemenway.  Psychological issues in the use of icons in command menus , 1982, CHI '82.

[28]  Suzanne Rivard,et al.  Factors of success for end-user computing , 1988, CACM.

[29]  Young-Gul Kim,et al.  Extending the TAM for a World-Wide-Web context , 2000, Inf. Manag..

[30]  Wynne W. Chin.  Issues and Opinion on Structural Equation Modeling by , 2009 .

[31]  Kasper Hornbæk,et al.  Current practice in measuring usability: Challenges to usability studies and research , 2006, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[32]  Janet Shibley Hyde,et al.  How Large Are Cognitive Gender Differences? , 1981, Feminist Research Methods.

[33]  Avi Parush,et al.  Navigation and orientation in 3D user interfaces: the impact of navigation aids and landmarks , 2004, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[34]  Patricia A. Chalmers,et al.  The role of cognitive theory in human-computer interface , 2003, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[35]  Maria De Marsico,et al.  Evaluating web sites: exploiting user's expectations , 2004, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[36]  Fred D. Davis.  Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology , 1989, MIS Q..

[37]  Gitte Lindgaard,et al.  What is this evasive beast we call user satisfaction? , 2003, Interact. Comput..

[38]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  The Impact of Cognitive Styles on Information System Design , 1978, MIS Q..

[39]  M. Linn,et al.  Emergence and characterization of sex differences in spatial ability: a meta-analysis. , 1985, Child development.

[40]  A. Colley,et al.  The effects of age, gender and computer experience upon computer attitudes , 1997 .

[41]  Irwin Silverman,et al.  Sex differences in spatial abilities: Evolutionary theory and data. , 1992 .

[42]  Gita Z. Wilder,et al.  Gender and computers: Two surveys of computer-related attitudes , 1985 .

[43]  D. Halpern.  Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities , 1986 .

[44]  D. Lohman,et al.  The effect of speed-accuracy tradeoff on sex differences in mental rotation , 1986, Perception & psychophysics.

[45]  Aaron Marcus,et al.  Designing for diverse users: will just a better interface do? , 1994, CHI '94.

[46]  Susan Wiedenbeck,et al.  The mediating effects of intrinsic motivation, ease of use and usefulness perceptions on performance in first-time and subsequent computer users , 2001, Interact. Comput..

[47]  Hock-Hai Teo,et al.  An empirical study of the effects of interactivity on web user attitude , 2003 .

[48]  Parag C. Pendharkar,et al.  A field study of the impact of gender and user's technical experience on the performance of voice-activated medical tracking application , 2004, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[49]  D. Collins,et al.  A large sex difference on a two-dimensional mental rotation task. , 1997, Behavioral neuroscience.

[50]  A. Feingold,et al.  Gender differences in personality: a meta-analysis. , 1994, Psychological bulletin.

[51]  Nigel Bevan,et al.  Measuring usability as quality of use , 1995, Software Quality Journal.

[52]  Henry Jenkins,et al.  From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: gender and computer games , 1998 .

[53]  Dennis E. Egan,et al.  Individual Differences In Human-Computer Interaction , 1988 .

[54]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  A critical assessment of potential measurement biases in the technology acceptance model: three experiments , 1996, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[55]  K. Virginia Hemby,et al.  Predicting Computer Anxiety in the Business Communication Classroom , 1998 .

[56]  I. Silverman,et al.  The Hunter-Gatherer theory of spatial sex differences: Proximate factors mediating the female advantage in recall of object arrays , 1994 .

[57]  D. Voyer,et al.  On the magnitude of laterality effects and sex differences in functional lateralities. , 1996, Laterality.

[58]  James C. Wetherbe,et al.  Key Issues in Information Systems Management: 1994-95 SIM Delphi Results , 1996, MIS Q..

[59]  D. Kimura,et al.  Sex differences in cerebral organization for speech and praxic functions. , 1983, Canadian journal of psychology.

[60]  R. Abouserie,et al.  Cognitive Style, Gender, Attitude toward Computer‐assisted Learning and Academic Achievement , 1992 .

[61]  A. Colley,et al.  Effects of Gender Role Identity and Experience on Computer Attitude Components , 1994 .

[62]  Marlaine E. Lockheed.  Women, girls, and computers: A first look at the evidence , 1985 .

[63]  M. G. McGee.  Human spatial abilities: psychometric studies and environmental, genetic, hormonal, and neurological influences. , 1979, Psychological bulletin.

[64]  David Passig,et al.  Gender preferences for multimedia interfaces , 2001, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[65]  Andrew M. Colman,et al.  Gender and Social Facilitation Effects on Computer Competence and Attitudes toward Computers , 1996 .

[66]  Fred D. Davis.  User Acceptance of Information Technology: System Characteristics, User Perceptions and Behavioral Impacts , 1993, Int. J. Man Mach. Stud..

[67]  Clifford Nass,et al.  Computers that care: investigating the effects of orientation of emotion exhibited by an embodied computer agent , 2005, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[68]  David Gittins,et al.  Icon-Based Human-Computer Interaction , 1986, Int. J. Man Mach. Stud..

[69]  Chorng-Shyong Ong,et al.  Factors affecting engineers' acceptance of asynchronous e-learning systems in high-tech companies , 2004, Inf. Manag..

[70]  Doreen Kimura,et al.  Human sex differences in cognition, fact, not predicament , 2004 .

[71]  Kori M. Inkpen,et al.  We Have Never-Forgetful Flowers In Our Garden: Girls'' Responses to Electronic Games , 1993 .

[72]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  An Experimental Investigation of Interface Design Alternatives: Icon vs. Text and Direct Manipulation vs. Menus , 1993, Int. J. Man Mach. Stud..

[73]  Doreen Kimura,et al.  Sex hormones influence human cognitive pattern. , 2002, Neuro endocrinology letters.

[74]  James D. Hollan,et al.  Direct Manipulation Interfaces , 1985, Hum. Comput. Interact..

[75]  Leslie Lucas.  Visually designing the computer-learner interface , 1991 .

[76]  J. Hyde.  How large are cognitive gender differences? A meta-analysis using !w² and d.. , 1981 .

[77]  Deborah Compeau,et al.  Social Cognitive Theory and Individual Reactions to Computing Technology: A Longitudinal Study , 1999, MIS Q..

[78]  Charles Martin,et al.  In search of gender free paradigms for computer science , 1992 .

[79]  Alex Koohang,et al.  A study of attitudes toward computers: anxiety, confidence, liking, and perception of usefulness , 1987 .