Interface apparency
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Interface apparency is a term used in technology to describe the degree to which a user interface enables a user to understand hidden contingencies, such as drop down menus or context menus which only appear after an action, within a computer or computerised system; or, how easy it is for a person coming upon an interface such as a website, a computer program, or a kiosk, to understand the sequence of steps required to perform a complex action using that interface.
Spatial visualization ability (SVA) helps to predict which users will be hampered by low levels of apparency in an interface; the higher a person's SVA, the less trouble they will have with an interface with hidden contingencies.
References
[edit]- Alonso, D.L. (1998). "The effects of individual differences in spatial visualization ability on dual-task performance (Dissertation)". Archived from the original on 2006-04-28. Retrieved 2006-05-14.
- Alonso, D.L.; Norman, K.L. (1998). "Apparency of contingencies in single panel and pull-down menus". International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. 49 (1): 59–78. doi:10.1006/ijhc.1998.0200.