Information Assimilation from Symbolic Displays. Amount of Information Presented and Removed

摘要

The Army's command information processing systems will end-produce maps, totes, and overlays on which situation information, intelligence data, and administrative support data are presented and continually updated. The study was conducted to determine how information assimilation is affected by amount of information presented and extent of information change introduced in updating. Slides containing military unit flag symbols such as might be depicted on maps and overlays were presented to 32 individuals. Four levels of amount of information were effected by varying the number of symbols--12, 16, 20, and 24--per slide. The initial presentation was followed by a second slide with a number of symbols--2, 4, 6, or 8--removed. Responses were analyzed in terms of accuracy and type of error. It was found that: (1) accuracy of information assimilation decreased as the number of symbols was increased; (2) although the number of symbols removed in a single updating did not affect the accuracy of information assimilation, it did affect the type of error made--as more symbols were removed, increasingly more errors of omission than of commission were made; (3) individuals differed appreciably in their ability to assimilate the information presented and (4) differences in performances appeared to be at least partially associated with age. Findings point to the advisability of keeping the amount of information in a single display to a minimum consistent with operational utility. (Author)