AbstractsEngineering

Effects of tactile and audio feedback are examined in the context of touchscreen and mobile use. Prior experimental research is graphically summarized by task type (handheld text entry, tabletop text entry, non-text input), tactile feedback type (active, passive), and significant findings, revealing a research gap evaluating passive tactile feedback in handheld text entry (a.k.a. “texting”). A passive custom tactile overlay is evaluated in a new experiment wherein 24 participants perform a handheld text entry task on an iPhone under four tactile and audio feedback conditions with measures of text entry speed and accuracy. Results indicate audio feedback produces better performance, while the tactile overlay degrades performance, consistent with reviewed literature. Contrary to previous findings, the combined feedback condition did not produce improved performance. Findings are discussed in light of skill-based behavior and feed-forward control principles described by Gibson (1966) and Rasmussen (1983). Advisors/Committee Members: Bennett, Kevin (Advisor).