EFFECTS OF GENDER, TOPOLOGY, AND TASK COMPLEXITY ON THE USABILITY OF DICTIONARY APPS FOR AN ELDERLY COHORT

Abstract

This study investigated user task performance according to gender, interface design (linear or mixed type), and task complexity (easy, medium, or difficult). In total, 48 participants (24 females, 24 males; mean age = 64.4 years, SD = 3.04) were recruited. Task performance was indexed by the time taken to complete a task. It was noted that the main effects of gender and mode on task performance were not significant, and neither were the gender interaction effects with all other factors. It was also found that the main effects of topological structure and task effect, and their interaction, were significant with respect to task performance. An example of a good interface design (mixed type) that can be adapted to suit particular task conditions and allows high-quality operation by elderly users was proposed by this study. The mixed topological design improved task performance relative to a linear topological interface design, regardless of task complexity. The findings of this study may contribute to improvements in digital dictionary app interface design and research for elderly people.