Characteristics of cursor trajectories controlled by the computer mouse

An analysis of computer screen cursor trajectories can provide insights int o the factors limiting efficient cursor positioning and can assist in the d esign of human-computer interfaces. Cursor locations as controlled by a Mic rosoft computer mouse with standard settings were therefore sampled at 5 ms intervals and kinematic analyses addressed the proportions of time spent i n the initiation, accelerative and terminal guidance phases of cursor posit ioning. Twelve participants used a computer mouse to move a cursor over dif ferent distances (7.5 cm, 15 cm) from a home location in the lower centre o f the screen to targets of different diameters (8 mm, 16 mm), situated to t he left, middle or right of the computer screen. Cursor trajectories were i rregular, and participants regularly overshot their targets, spending 70% o f movement duration in terminal guidance. Participants appeared to use the initial part of their movement to establish mappings between controller and display. Interventions should seek to reduce the terminal guidance phase o f cursor positioning.