[论文解读] What a Difference a Tag Cloud Makes: Effects of Tasks and Cognitive Abilities on Search Results Interface Use

Jacek Gwizdka|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 13, 2010

Advanced Text Analysis Techniques参考文献 69被引用 35

一句话总结

本研究探讨了任务复杂性与认知能力（记忆广度、语言闭合性）如何影响搜索表现，采用两种结果界面——列表（List）与概览（Overview）。结果显示，概览界面在提升搜索速度、查询构建与结果评估方面表现更优，尤其对认知能力较高的用户更为显著；这些用户在简单任务中表现更快，但在复杂任务中尽管付出更高搜索努力，却未获得更优的结果。

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study is to expand our understanding of the relationships between selected tasks, cognitive abilities and search result interfaces. The underlying objective is to understand how to select search results presentation for tasks and user contexts. Twenty three participants conducted four search tasks of two types and used two interfaces (List and Overview) to refine and examine search results. Clickthrough data were recorded. This controlled study employed a mixed model design with two within-subject factors (task and interface) and two between-subject factors (two cognitive abilities: memory span and verbal closure). Quantitative analyses were carried out by means of the statistical package SPSS. Specifically, multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures and non-parametric tests were performed on the collected data. The overview of search results appeared to have benefited searchers in several ways. It made them faster; it facilitated formulation of more effective queries and helped to assess search results. Searchers with higher cognitive abilities were faster in the Overview interface and in less demanding situations (on simple tasks), while at the same time they issued about the same number of queries as lower-ability searchers. In more demanding situations (on complex tasks and in the List interface), the higher ability searchers expended more search effort, although they were not significantly slower than the lower ability people in these situations. The higher search effort, however, did not result in a measurable improvement of task outcomes for high-ability searchers. These findings have implications for the design of search interfaces. They suggest benefits of providing result overviews. They also suggest the importance of considering cognitive abilities in the design of search results' presentation and interaction.

研究动机与目标

• 理解任务复杂性与认知能力如何影响搜索行为与表现。
• 评估在不同任务需求下，两种搜索结果界面（列表与概览）的有效性。
• 检验较高认知能力是否在不同界面类型下带来更优的搜索结果。
• 基于用户认知特征与任务特性，识别搜索界面设计的启示。

提出的方法

• 一项受控实验，共23名参与者，采用混合模型设计，包含两个组内因素（任务类型与界面）和两个组间因素（记忆广度与语言闭合性）。
• 共进行四项搜索任务——两项简单任务与两项复杂任务，使用列表与概览界面，顺序随机化。
• 收集点击流数据以衡量搜索行为，包括查询次数与任务耗时。
• 采用重复测量的多元方差分析（MANOVA）分析不同条件下的表现差异。
• 对非正态分布数据应用非参数检验以验证结果。
• 通过标准化评估测量认知能力，将参与者划分为高能力与低能力组。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 搜索结果界面的选择（列表 vs. 概览）如何影响不同任务类型下的搜索表现？
• RQ2 认知能力（记忆广度与语言闭合性）在不同界面上在多大程度上调节搜索表现？
• RQ3 较高的认知能力是否带来更优的任务结果，尤其是在复杂搜索任务中？
• RQ4 与低能力用户相比，高能力用户在查询构建与搜索努力方面有何不同？

主要发现

• 在所有任务中，概览界面显著提升了搜索速度，优于列表界面。
• 高能力用户在概览界面中表现更快，尤其在简单任务中，且未增加查询次数。
• 在复杂任务及列表界面中，高能力用户投入了更多搜索努力，但与低能力用户相比，速度并无显著差异。
• 尽管付出更高搜索努力，高能力用户在复杂任务中并未获得可测量的更优结果。
• 概览界面促进了更有效的查询构建与更优的搜索结果评估。
• 认知能力显著调节了搜索表现，尤其在任务要求较低的情境下更为显著。