Performance analysis of text entry with preferred one hand using smartphone touch keyboard

Abstract

Is performance in smartphone text entry better when using the preferred hand rather than the non-preferred hand? Among right-handed people, is the performance of users who prefer using their left hand in smartphone text entry worse than that of users who prefer using their right hand? The present study addresses these questions. Thirty young male undergraduate students were instructed to type a text message template using a thumb-based QWERTY smartphone with both hands, with only their right hand, and with only their left hand. The completion time and occurrence of errors were measured. All participants were right handed. However, when only one hand is available half of them preferred to use their right hand if they had to enter a text on the smartphone, whereas the other half preferred to use their left hand. In entering a text with only one hand, about 90% of the 15 righthand-preferred participants, and about 70% of the 15 lefthand-preferred participants performed better using their preferred hand than using their nonpreferred hand. However, the performance of the participants who performed better using their left hand was not worse than those who performed better using their right hand in smartphone text entry.