Relationship Between System Response Time, Working Memory, and Task Complexity: An Empirical Investigation

摘要

An experiment tested whether: 1) user performance decrements due to system response time (SRT) results from working memory disruption, and 2) SRT effects vary with task complexity. Subjects performed one- and three-step tasks resembling use of a screen editor while attempting to remember zero, three, or six digits. After each task step, SRT's of either zero, two, or six seconds were imposed. SRT increased task completion time, although more for the complex than for the simple task. There was neither a significant interaction between SRT and memory load, nor a main effect of memory load, showing that SRT does not disrupt working memory. (ERA citation 13:032036)