This article reports on an exploratory study aimed to identify which ways of marking required and optional fields help older people fill in web forms correctly. Drawing on a pilot study and selective attention research in ageing, modified versions of widely used forms were created, in which standard asterisks were replaced with one of three alternatives: large asterisks (double standard size), textual labels and a simple binary classification of fields. Older novice computer users participated in this study (N = 88). The quantitative results were independent of the type of form and showed that the method of denoting required fields had a significant effect on the number of errors (measured as required fields not being filled (p < 0.05)). The participants made fewer errors in the binary classification than in the others (p < 0.05), while the differences between standard asterisks, large asterisks and labels were not significant (p &H 0.05). The qualitative findings revealed that the participants felt overloaded with information when using every method except the binary classification. These results challenge widespread design solutions for older people (e.g. enlarging elements) and suggest that reducing selective attention demands can help us meet their accessibility needs.
BT - Behaviour & Information Technology DO - 10.1080/01449291003767920 IS - 2 LA - eng N1 -This study is an exploratory study of older people filling online forms. The study asked 88 older participants to fill web forms with one of the marks: large asterisks (double standard size), textual lables and simple binary classification of fields. Surprisingly, it suggested that asterisks' size did not help older people to distinguish between required and optional fields. Instead, it is the reduced cognitive load that help them to make this distinction.
N2 -This article reports on an exploratory study aimed to identify which ways of marking required and optional fields help older people fill in web forms correctly. Drawing on a pilot study and selective attention research in ageing, modified versions of widely used forms were created, in which standard asterisks were replaced with one of three alternatives: large asterisks (double standard size), textual labels and a simple binary classification of fields. Older novice computer users participated in this study (N = 88). The quantitative results were independent of the type of form and showed that the method of denoting required fields had a significant effect on the number of errors (measured as required fields not being filled (p < 0.05)). The participants made fewer errors in the binary classification than in the others (p < 0.05), while the differences between standard asterisks, large asterisks and labels were not significant (p &H 0.05). The qualitative findings revealed that the participants felt overloaded with information when using every method except the binary classification. These results challenge widespread design solutions for older people (e.g. enlarging elements) and suggest that reducing selective attention demands can help us meet their accessibility needs.
PY - 2012 SP - 171 EP - 184 T2 - Behaviour & Information Technology TI - Selective attention in web forms: an exploratory case study with older people UR - http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01449291003767920 VL - 31 ER -