Stress as a Function of the Rate at Which Information is Presented on a Video Display Terminal *

Abstract

The increasing use of computers in the work environment has resulted in the need to develop human factors principles that improve human-computer interaction. Systems which are incompatible with the information processing capabilities of the user may lead to information overload or underload and to stress. The following experiment examines the relationship between stress and performance by varying rates of information and density levels on a VDT.

Ten subjects (Ss) performed a visual search task on a VDT as information was “scrolled” across the screen. Ss stopped the scrolling mode by pushing the skip bar when they identified the target. This resulted either in a correct detection, Type I error (identifying the wrong target), or Type II error (missing the target). Results revealed that high rates of information presentation lead to increased errors as well as increased subjective reports of stress (Feeling Tone Checklist). Recommendations for system design are discussed.