Empirical Evaluation of Knowledge, Cognitive Style and Structure Upon thePerformance of a Hypertext Task

摘要

The increased usage of computer-based text, specifically hypertext, has lead tonew capabilities in information presentation. As a direct result of the greater flexibility and multiple paths within hypertext (non-linear computer-based text), users frequently become lost while navigating through a document. The majority of efforts to solve the navigation problem have focused on the hypertext document, rather than cognitive aspects of the user. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of an individual's cognitive characteristics in conjunction with the nature of the hypertext task. Of particular interest is the interaction between hypertext presentation (with explicit or inherent structure), cognitive style (field independence or field dependence) and level of knowledge (experienced or naive). While previous research has focused on various portions of the dimensions of structure, it is hypothesized here that the three factors contributing to structural usage interact with one another and should be considered simultaneously, as a system, in the design of hypertext displays.