[IxDA Discuss] Fitt's law for mobile devices

[Anderson, Douglas W.]

Hi Robert,

Don't worry, I won't try to convince you (though I *am* convinced).

Unlike Fitt's law, which essentially describes characteristics of hand-eye coordination, effects of time displacement within a task seem to me to be subject to characteristics of working memory and cognition. I would look to research in those areas for the bases of applicable models of human behavior.

As you say, it seems obvious that increasing displacement in time would reduce performance. However, there may be other independent variables that are significant in any particular task context. Drawing an analogy to Fitt's law would shed no light on such variables. Looking into memory & cognition would be likely to suggest what sorts of variables might be significant, including time displacement, and why.

That would seem to provide a better foundation for an explanatory model. Just my 2 cents worth.

Peace,
Doug Anderson
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN

Opinions expressed are necessarily mine, not necessarily those of the Mayo Foundation.


Original message:
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:52:23 -0700
From: "Robert Hoekman, Jr." <rhoekmanjr at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fitt's law for mobile devices
To: "Peter Bagnall" <pete at surfaceeffect.com>
Cc: barbara at littlespringsdesign.com, discuss at ixda.org

I can see what you're saying - really. I'm still not convinced I agree that the law can't be interpreted to encompass time as distance, but the separation isn't a bad idea either.

The fact that you said I've found "Hoekman's Law", of course, makes me want to stop debating the point and just run with it. :) It seems way too obvious to call it a law, but there are loads of laws that exist only to remind us of the obvious. The fact, is, a lot of people need to have the obvious pointed out to them.

-r-