Objective: We evaluated alternative scrolling methods on non-touch screen computer operating systems by comparing human performance in different scrolling conditions.
Background: The scrolling directions on current operating systems are discrepant. Few researchers have investigated how scrolling method influences users performance. The response-effect (R-E) compatibility principle can be used as a theoretical guide.
Method: Experiments 1 and 2 involved two successive tasks (scrolling and target content judgment) to simulate how people scroll to acquire and use off-screen information. Performance in R-E compatible and incompatible conditions was compared. Experiment 3 involved a location judgment task to test the influence of target location. Experiments 4 and 5 included a scrolling effect following the location judgment task to test the sufficient role of the scrolling effect.
Results: Overall, responses were facilitated when the response direction was compatible with the forthcoming display-content movement direction (an R-E compatibility effect), when the scrolling effect was task relevant or task irrelevant. A spatial stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility effect attributable to target location was also found. When the scrolling effect was present, there were both R-E and S-R components; the R-E effect was the larger of the two.
Conclusion: Scrolling in the direction of content movement yielded the best performance, and the scrolling effect was the main source of the R-E compatibility effect.
Application: These findings suggest that (a) the R-E compatibility principle may be used as a general design guideline for scrolling and (b) a consistent scrolling method should be available on various operating systems.