Mind the Gap: The Effect of Keyboard Key Gap and Pitch on Typing Speed, Accuracy, and Usability, Part 3. (November 2015)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Mind the Gap: The Effect of Keyboard Key Gap and Pitch on Typing Speed, Accuracy, and Usability, Part 3. (November 2015)
- Main Title:
- Mind the Gap
- Authors:
- Madison, Heather
Pereira, Anna
Korshøj, Mette
Taylor, Laura
Barr, Alan
Rempel, David - Abstract:
- Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of key gap (distance between edges of keys) on computer keyboards on typing speed, percentage error, preference, and usability. Background: In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, a small key pitch (center-to-center distance between keys) was found to reduce productivity and usability, but the findings were confounded by gap. In this study, key gap was varied while holding key pitch constant. Method: Participants ( N = 25) typed on six keyboards, which differed in gap between keys (1, 3, or 5 mm) and pitch (16 or 17 mm; distance between centers of keys), while typing speed, accuracy, usability, and preference were measured. Results: There was no statistical interaction between gap and pitch. Accuracy was better for keyboards with a gap of 5 mm compared to a 1-mm gap ( p = .04). Net typing speed ( p = .02), accuracy ( p = .002), and most usability measures were better for keyboards with a pitch of 17 mm compared to a 16-mm pitch. Conclusions: The study findings support keyboard designs with a gap between keys of 5 mm over 1 mm and a key pitch of 17 mm over 16 mm. Applications: These findings may influence keyboard standards and design, especially the design of small keyboards used with portable devices, such as tablets and laptops.
- Is Part Of:
- Human factors. Volume 57:Number 7(2015)
- Journal:
- Human factors
- Issue:
- Volume 57:Number 7(2015)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 57, Issue 7 (2015)
- Year:
- 2015
- Volume:
- 57
- Issue:
- 7
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2015-0057-0007-0000
- Page Start:
- 1188
- Page End:
- 1194
- Publication Date:
- 2015-11
- Subjects:
- keyboard design -- key cap -- human–computer interaction -- computer input devices
Human engineering -- Periodicals
620.82 - Journal URLs:
- http://hfs.sagepub.com/ ↗
http://www.sagepublications.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1177/0018720815587423 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0018-7208
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 6513.xml