Evaluating system design features

Numerous recent studies have utilized perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use measures to predict the user acceptance of information technologies. This study presents the results of an experiment in which subjects assess the usefulness and ease of use of qualitatively distinct user interface features. Using structural equation modeling, the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the user interface are empirically linked to observed measures of task accuracy and task latency, and to self-reported measures of user confidence in decision quality. Findings indicate that perceived ease of use contributes significantly to enhanced levels of user confidence in decision quality. Moreover, user interfaces perceived as easy to use are associated with faster and more accurate decisions. However, interfaces that are perceived as more useful in accomplishing the task paradoxically result in users taking longer to make decisions that are no more accurate. Furthermore, user confidence in decision quality is not promoted by interfaces that are perceived as more useful.