Increasing accuracy by decreasing presentation quality in transcription tasks

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Many tasks with interfaces require entering data accurately, for example, entering patient data in an electronic records system or programming infusion pumps. However, human error is inevitable. Paradoxically, results from cognitive psychology suggest that representing information in a poorer quality format increases the likelihood of memorising the information accurately. This is explained by the dual system account of cognition where slower, more effortful but more accurate thinking is invoked via the poorer quality representation. We present two studies where we transfer these results to the domain of data- entry and show that poorer quality format of to-be-copied information leads to increased accuracy in transcription tasks. Moreover, this is not a consequence of the typical speed-accuracy tradeoffs. The results of our novel approach have implications for the design of data-entry tasks in domains such as healthcare.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Pages380-394
Number of pages15
Volume8118 LNCS
EditionPART 2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
Event14th IFIP TC 13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013 - Cape Town, South Africa
Duration: 2 Sept 20136 Sept 2013

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
NumberPART 2
Volume8118 LNCS
ISSN (Print)03029743
ISSN (Electronic)16113349

Conference

Conference14th IFIP TC 13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013
Country/TerritorySouth Africa
CityCape Town
Period2/09/136/09/13

Keywords

  • cognition
  • data-entry
  • Human error
  • infusion pump
  • number-entry
  • perception
  • presentation quality
  • safety-critical systems

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