Time delays and system response times in human-computer interaction
Noah Stupak · RIT Scholar Works (Rochester Institute of Technology) · 2009
This study sought to determine a type of graphical representation of system response time that would be most beneficial to the user in terms of task performance. Specifically, I examined which type of progress bar would allow the user to return to working with the system most efficiently while performing other concurrent tasks, and how well the user performed these tasks. The different types of progress bars studied included segmented and continuous progress presentations, and linear, accelerating, and decelerating progress behaviors. The results indicate that different representations of system response time affected performance on the two tasks, with the continuous progress bar resulting in the best performance out of the two progress bar types and the linear behavior resulting in the best performance out of the behaviors. The results also show that different progress bar speeds and types should be used depending on the desired effect of the progress bar on users.