What a difference a cloud makes: cognitive abilities, tasks, and the search results interface
Jacek Gwizdka · Information Research · 2009
Introduction. The objective of this study is to expand our understanding of the relationships between selected cognitive abilities, search result interfaces, and tasks. The overarching objective is to understand how to match search result presentations with different tasks and user contexts. Method. Twenty three participants conducted four search tasks of two types and used two interfaces (List and Overview) to refine and examine search results. Clickthrough data were recorded. This controlled study employed a mixed model design, with two within-subject factors (task and interface) and two between-subject factors (two cognitive abilities: memory span and verbal closure). Analysis. Quantitative analyses were carried out by means of the statistical package SPSS. Specifically, multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures and non-parametric tests were performed on the collected data. Results. The overview of search results appeared to have benefited users in several ways. It made searchers faster; it facilitated formulation of more effective queries and helped to assess search results. The List interface discriminated between searchers with different cognitive abilities. Searchers with higher cognitive abilities were fastest in less demanding situations and expended more search effort in more demanding situations (in the List interface and on more complex tasks). Conclusions. These findings have implications for the design of search interfaces. They suggest benefits of providing result overviews. They also suggest the importance of considering cognitive abilities in the design of search results presentation and interaction.