PERCEIVED TASK COMPLEXITY AS A CRITERION FOR INFORMATION SUPPORT

Here, the conceptual model of perceived task complexity, which incorpo rates the user, task, and system into a comprehensive unit of analysis , is used to investigate how, when, and why computer-assisted instruct ion (CAI) systems provide effective support. The work is based on data provided by 156 experimental subjects; information system (IS) use wa s found to vary by user groups depending on task performance. In addit ion, the effects of task presentation on task behavior and performance were found to vary between groups, based on their performance. The fi ndings imply that user, task, and system dynamically interact in provi ding effective IS support. A comprehensive model of perceived task com plexity that includes a user's domain knowledge is developed. This sho uld help in further investigating into how, when, and why IS are effec tive. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.