A sequential or rapid communication (RAP COM) display was compared with a more conventional spatial display as participants monitored dynamically changing sets of three-digit numbers and responded to occasional target stimuli. In an effort to equate the stimulus-response compatibility of the two displays, the authors had participants respond to the targets with a chord keyboard in Experiment 1 and vocally in Experiment 2. The authors studied the influence of display duration on performance with the RAP COM and spatial formats by presenting stimuli at three different durations. The influence of practice on performance with the RAP COM and spatial displays was also studied. Participants responded to targets more quickly in the RAP COM than in the spatial displays at each of the three presentation durations and across more than 2,000 trials of practice. Accuracy was influenced by the display presentation duration. Accuracy was higher for the RAP COM than for the spatial display at the 800-ms stimulus presentation duration in Experiment 1 and at the 800- and 1200-ms presentation durations in Experiment 2. The results are discussed in terms of the potential utility of RAP COM displays for complex, real-world systems.
Abstract