PERFORMANCE EFFECTS OF REDUCED PROPRIOCEPTIVE FEEDBACK ON TOUCH TYPISTS AND CASUAL USERS IN A TYPING TASK

This study examined performance and acceptance effects of lack of kine sthetic and tactile feedback from the keyboard in a typing task with t wo subject groups of differing skill level: touch typists and casual u sers. Subjects' objective performance (e.g., speed, accuracy, throughp ut) and subjective acceptance (questionnaire) was evaluated for both a conventional full travel keyboard and a prototype piezoelectric flat keyboard which lacked familiar kinesthetic and tactile feedback. Any p erformance decrement present with the flat keyboard was expected to di minish with practice for the touch typists due to transfer and adaptat ion of typing skills. Performance for both subject groups was signific antly higher with the conventional keyboard and touch typists' perform ance was more adversely affected by the flat keyboard than causal user s'. No performance improvement with practice was found for one subject group relative to the other or for one keyboard relative to the other . It was concluded the touch typists were unable to adapt to the unusu al feedback conditions present with the piezo-electric flat keyboard.