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Elizabeth Zoltan-Ford

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Publications by Elizabeth Zoltan-Ford (bibliography)

1991

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Zoltan-Ford, Elizabeth (1991): How to Get People to Say and Type What Computers Can Understand. In International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 34 (4) pp. 527-547.

“This study tested whether people can be shaped to use the vocabulary and phrase structure of a program's output in creating their own inputs. Occasional computer-users interacted with four versions of an inventory program ostensibly capable of understanding natural-language inputs. The four versions differed in the vocabulary and the phrase length presented on the subjects' computer screen. Within each version, the program's outputs were worded consistently and presented repetitively in the hope that subjects would use the outputs as a model for their inputs. Although not told so in advance, one-half of the subjects were restricted to input phrases identical to those used by their respective program (shaping condition), the other half were not (modeling condition). Additionally, one-half of the subjects communicated with the program by speaking, the other half by typing. The analysis of the verbal dependent variables revealed four noteworthy findings. First, users will model the length of a program's output. Second, it is easier for people to model and to be shaped to terse, as opposed to conversational, output phrases. Third, shaping users' inputs through error messages is more successful in limiting the variability in their language than is relying on them to model the program's outputs. Fourth, mode of communication and output vocabulary do not affect the degree to which modeling or shaping occur in person-computer interactions. Comparisons of pre- and post-experimental attitudes show that both restricted and unrestricted subjects felt significantly more positive toward computers after their interactions with the natural-language system. Other performance and attitude differences as well as implications for the development of natural-language processors are discussed.”

1990

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Steinbach, Kathryn F. and Zoltan-Ford, Elizabeth (1990): When It Doesn't Add Up: The Effect of Combining Command-Name Guidelines. In: D., Woods, and E., Roth, (eds.) Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 34th Annual Meeting 1990, Santa Monica, USA. pp. 434-438.

“The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of combining several command-name guidelines in the human factors literature. The particular guidelines examined included the naturalness, specificity, frequency of use, and form (words or symbols) of the command names; and the relationship among the commands within a set (i.e., congruency). Four command sets were studied: a noncompliant set that violated all five guidelines; a mixed that adhered to all five guidelines; and a symbolic and a verbal set that both violated the form guideline. Three categories of dependent variables were examined: performance (time, errors, and the use of help and cancel functions); recall; and preference measures. The results of the study indicate that the extent to which guidelines can be combined differ depending on the type of dependent variable examined. Further, the results do not support the conclusion that the more guidelines followed, the better the users's performance. The conclusions discussed include how to interpret guidelines based on past research, suggestions for combining existing guidelines, and implications for future research.”

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