Handedness-Associated Stereotypes of Windows Arrangement during Computer Text Copying Task

Abstract

Right-handers and left-handers usually conduct manual tasks in different arrangement of work elements due to physical constraints caused by handedness. The accumulation of such physical experiences may develop a kind of stereotype regarding the arrangement of work elements, which may have influence on performing a task in an environment free of physical constraints. The stereotype is defined as handedness-associated stereotype in this research. The objectives of the current study are (1) to explore the presence of the handedness-associated stereotype, (2) to investigate whether the stereotype, if it exists, is developed from physical experiences, and (3) to demonstrate the effect of the stereotype on preference and task performance by empirical test under no physical constraint. To this end, two experiments were conducted in which right-handers and left-handers copied a text from one to another through handwriting and keyboarding. In Experiment 1, participants freely arranged the two sheets (or windows) during both tasks, and their window arrangement methods were collected for each task. In Experiment 2, two windows arrangement conditions were given, and preference and task performance were measured for each condition. As a result, the two handedness groups arranged the windows in opposite methods, and their individual arrangement methods for the handwriting tasks were in accordance with those for the keyboarding task. Also, significant difference between the right-handers and left-handers was found in experiment regarding preference, but not in task performance. These results suggest that right-handers and left-handers have different stereotypes regarding the arrangement of work elements, and therefore handedness should be considered in order to design user-interface with higher preference. Lastly, the results suggest that these stereotypes may be derived from experiences regarding handwriting.