THE EFFECTS OF NAVIGATIONAL ORIENTATION AND USER EXPERIENCE ON USER TASK EFFICIENCY AND FRUSTRATION LEVELS

摘要

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of Internet and computer experience on the selection of vertical or horizontal navigation, the time to complete information-gathering tasks on the Internet, and the frustration level associated with an Internet-search task. The majority of users selected vertical navigation, but there were no statistically significant difference in time to complete tasks associated with either navigational orientation. There was a difference in time associated with experience level: subjects with more Internet and computer experience completed tasks faster. The implications for web designers debating vertical vs. horizontal navigation are discussed.