research-article

The problem of consistency in the design of Fitts' law experiments: consider either target distance and width or movement form and scale

Author:

Yves GuiardAuthors Info & Claims

CHI '09: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Pages 1809 - 1818

https://doi.org/10.1145/1518701.1518980

Published: 04 April 2009 Publication History

Abstract

An intriguing anomaly of the usual way of designing Fitts' law experiments in experimental psychology and HCI is exposed: experiments are traditionally designed so as to carefully balance two ancillary factors, target distance D and target width W, but not task difficulty, the factor unanimously thought to be crucial. Troubling factor confounds and hence quantitative estimation errors result from this inconsistency. The problem, it is suggested, may be fixed if the equivocalness of the fractional expression D/W that appears on the right-hand side of Fitts' law equations is acknowledged. This two-degree-of-freedom expression can be taken to specify either D and W or the form F and the scale S of the movement task. The paper ends up with practical recommendations for the design of consistent Fitts' law experiments. In most cases eliminating one factor will allow a safer estimation of Fitts' law parameters, while simplifying the experimental work.

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Cited By

Moon JKim JHwang YJang SKim J(2023)Novel evaluation of upper-limb motor performance after stroke based on normal reaching movement modelJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation10.1186/s12984-023-01189-620:1Online publication date: 25-May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-023-01189-6
Zhang X(2023)Understanding the Effects of Movement Direction on 2D Touch Pointing TasksProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36264827:ISS(444-462)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3626482
Priya KJoshi A(2023)Fitts’ Throughput Vs Empirical Throughput: A Comparative StudyHuman-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 202310.1007/978-3-031-42280-5_28(436-455)Online publication date: 25-Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42280-5_28
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

The problem of consistency in the design of Fitts' law experiments: consider either target distance and width or movement form and scale
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. HCI design and evaluation methods
    2. HCI theory, concepts and models
  2. Interaction design
    1. Interaction design theory, concepts and paradigms

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cover image ACM Conferences

CHI '09: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

April 2009

2426 pages

ISBN:9781605582467

DOI:10.1145/1518701

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Dan R. Olsen
Brigham Young University
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Brigham Young University
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Program Chairs:
Ken Hinckley
Microsoft Research
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Meredith Ringel Morris
Microsoft Research
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Scott Hudson
Carnegie Mellon University
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University of Calgary

Copyright © 2009 ACM.

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Published: 04 April 2009

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CHI '09 Paper Acceptance Rate 277 of 1,130 submissions, 25%;

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Cited By

Moon JKim JHwang YJang SKim J(2023)Novel evaluation of upper-limb motor performance after stroke based on normal reaching movement modelJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation10.1186/s12984-023-01189-620:1Online publication date: 25-May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-023-01189-6
Zhang X(2023)Understanding the Effects of Movement Direction on 2D Touch Pointing TasksProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36264827:ISS(444-462)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3626482
Priya KJoshi A(2023)Fitts’ Throughput Vs Empirical Throughput: A Comparative StudyHuman-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 202310.1007/978-3-031-42280-5_28(436-455)Online publication date: 25-Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42280-5_28
Lin CCheng C(2022)Modeling the Effect of Target Shape on Movement Performance in a 1D2D Fitts TaskMathematics10.3390/math1015256810:15(2568)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2022
https://doi.org/10.3390/math10152568
Lin CCheng C(2021)A New Approach to Modeling the Prediction of Movement TimeMathematics10.3390/math91415859:14(1585)Online publication date: 6-Jul-2021
https://doi.org/10.3390/math9141585
Matić AValerjev PGomez-Marin A(2021)Hierarchical Control of Visually-Guided Movements in a 3D-Printed Robot ArmFrontiers in Neurorobotics10.3389/fnbot.2021.75572315Online publication date: 29-Oct-2021
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2021.755723
Zhang X(2021)Evaluating the Effects of Saccade Types and Directions on Eye Pointing TasksThe 34th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3472749.3474818(1221-1234)Online publication date: 10-Oct-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3472749.3474818
Fischer FBachinski MKlar MFleig AMüller J(2021)Reinforcement learning control of a biomechanical model of the upper extremityScientific Reports10.1038/s41598-021-93760-111:1Online publication date: 14-Jul-2021
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93760-1
Ko YZhao HKim YRamakrishnan IZhai SBi XIqbal SMacLean KChevalier FMueller S(2020)Modeling Two Dimensional Touch PointingProceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3379337.3415871(858-868)Online publication date: 20-Oct-2020
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Sharif APao VReinecke KWobbrock J(2020)The Reliability of Fitts’s Law as a Movement Model for People with and without Limited Fine Motor FunctionProceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility10.1145/3373625.3416999(1-15)Online publication date: 26-Oct-2020
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