Distance Metrics in Multifunction Displays

The need to scan and integrate sources of information in multifunction displays (MFDs) forces consideration of the relationships between the screens in the database. This paper develops a spatial metaphor that can be used to explore these underlying relationships. Three metrics of distance - navigational (the number of choice points lying between screens), organizational (the structure of the hierarchy), and cognitive (the user's mental representation of information relatedness) - were identified and empirically examined by using a simulated, hierarchically arranged, menu-driven MFD in an aviation context.