Optimizing the Touch Tablet: The Effects of Control-Display Gain and Method of Cursor Control

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of control-display gain, method of cursor control, and target size on target selection performance with a touch tablet. In addition, an attempt was made to determine a definition of control-display gain that would generalize across different control-display combinations. The results indicated that a relatively low gain (approximately 0.8 to 1.0) resulted in more efficient target selection performance than did higher or lower gains. An absolute mode of cursor control, in which the cursor appears on the display in a position corresponding to the location of the finger on the touch tablet, resulted in faster selection rates and fewer target entries prior to confirmation than did a relative mode of cursor control. Selection of large targets was faster and more accurate than selection of small targets. Alternative explanations for performance differences are discussed.

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