Writing and Following Procedural Descriptive and Restricted Syntax Language Instructions.

摘要

Two exploratory experiments compared the way people (with no experience in the use of computing systems) write and carry out natural language procedures, natural language descriptions, and instructions expressed in an artificial restricted syntax language. The results suggest that there is no single 'natural' way that people write simple plans and instructions. Speed and accuracy of writing were about the same for all three approaches, although the linguistic characteristics differed greatly from approach to approach. While subjects were tolerant of ambiguity both in writing and in carrying out instructions, they often voluntarily employed restricted-syntax notation in their writing after being exposed to the notation. Subjects' accuracy in following detailed instructions was no greater than that in writing those instructions. (Author)