Do touchscreens make intelligent personal assistants more usable? An initial usability study. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Montalvo, Fernando; Schreck, Jacquelyn; Krause, Kendahl; Sasser, Jordan; McConnell, Daniel S.; Smither, Janan A.
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ... Annual Meeting. Volume 65:Part 1(2021)
• Page Start: 899
• Page End: 903
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Human engineering -- Congresses; 620.8205
• DOI: 10.1177/1071181321651283
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1541-9312

Abstract

Intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) have gained in popularity over the last decade. However, while the devices have been adopted in over a quarter of US households, users often fail to engage with the devices regularly once the initial novelty use wears off and users fail to find new and useful ways in which to interact with the devices. One way companies improve both the usability of the devices and a user's conceptual model of what an IPA is capable of is through the use of built-in touchscreen displays which can offer passive suggestions to users, increasing knowledge of available features and interactions. We compared two standalone IPAs to test if including a touchscreen on the device improved usability and perceived usefulness. Results indicate that touchscreen displays do not necessarily improve the usability, perceived usefulness, or perceived task effectiveness of an IPA device.