The Relative Effectiveness of Computer System Error Messages
Abstract
A recent General Services Administration survey (1985) reported that the number of small computers, the majority were IBM PCs and Zeniths. User complaints about the adequacy of system documentation and error messages of these disk-operating systems (DOS) have been numerous. This study was done to assess the effectiveness of system error messages. A sample of computer system error messages used by three DOS-based microcomputer systems was interpreted on-line by 40 subjects with varying computer expertise, determined by an experience profile administered before the test. On a four-alternative, forced-choice test, subjects correctly interpreted only 57 percent of the error messages. Experienced users correctly interpreted significantly more error messages than inexperienced users even though the contextual cues normally available to them were not present. Both experienced and inexperienced user groups spent equal time on the interpretation tasks, so differences in performance between the two groups cannot be explained by time spent on the test. Successful interpretation of error messages by users was more a function of the number of operating systems the users had been exposed to than of any other computer-related experience.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA173326
Entities
People
- Patrick H. Mccann