Papers by Tamar Ben-bassat
In a cross-cultural study, Shinar et al. (2003) found that comprehension varies widely among diff... more In a cross-cultural study, Shinar et al. (2003) found that comprehension varies widely among different highway traffic signs symbols and different countries. This is critical since a driver licensed in one country may rent a car and drive in almost any other country, with signs that may be very different from those previously encountered. Detailed examination of the comprehension levels of different signs suggested that those complying with ergonomic principles of good sign design were more likely to be comprehended than those that were not. The goal of this study was to directly test the relationship between sign comprehension and the extent that the sign complies with three ergonomic principles: sign-content compatibility, familiarity, and standardization. The participants in this study were 40 students with at least three years of driving experience. Each was presented with 30 signs, of which 15 were internationally common signs and 15 were unique to different countries. The firs...
Human factors, 2006
This research directly tests the relationship between comprehension probability of highway signs ... more This research directly tests the relationship between comprehension probability of highway signs and the extent to which they comply with three ergonomic principles of design: sign-content compatibility, familiarity, and standardization. A recent study that evaluated comprehension of traffic signs in four different countries showed that comprehension level varies widely and is apparently related to the extent that the sign's design incorporates ergonomic guidelines for good design (D. Shinar, R. E. Dewar, H. Summala, and L. Zakowska 2003). Participants were presented with 30 signs and asked to describe each sign's meaning. They then evaluated each sign in terms of each of three ergonomic principles. In addition, a group of human factors/ergonomics experts evaluated each sign on its standardization and compatibility. There were high correlations between the ratings of the students and the ratings of the experts on compatibility (rho = .94) and on standardization (rho = .84), ...
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2006
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2011
Roadway design is one of the most significant factors that affect driving behavior and perceived ... more Roadway design is one of the most significant factors that affect driving behavior and perceived safety. The current study tests the combined effects of three roadway design elements -shoulders width, guardrail existence and roadway geometry (curvature) -on objective driving measures (speed and lane position), and subjective measures (perceived safe driving speed and estimated road safety).
ACM Transactions on …, Jan 1, 2006
The assessment of the relative value of different design features for users is of great interest ... more The assessment of the relative value of different design features for users is of great interest for software designers. Users' evaluations are generally measured through questionnaires. We suggest that other evaluation methods, including economic measures, may provide different estimates of the relative value of features. In a laboratory experiment we created four versions of a data-entry application by independently manipulating the system's usability and aesthetics. Users' evaluations of the four experimental systems were obtained in a within-subjects design. In addition, five between-subjects experimental conditions were created, based on the evaluation method (questionnaire alone or auction and questionnaire), monetary incentives (present or absent), and experience in using the system (present or absent). In questionnaire-based responses, the systems' usability affected evaluations of usability as well as aesthetics. Similarly, the systems' aesthetics affected evaluations of both aesthetics and usability. Questionnaire-based evaluations of usability and aesthetics were not affected by experience with the system or by monetary performance incentives. Auction bids were only influenced by the system's usability: bids corresponded to the objective performance levels that could be attained with the different systems. The results suggest that by using economic methods, researchers and practitioners can obtain system evaluations that are strongly related to performance criteria and that may be more valid when the evaluation context favors task-oriented performance.
Extended abstracts of the 2004 conference on Human factors and computing systems - CHI '04, 2004
Recent findings suggest that, at least in certain contexts, users&#x2... more Recent findings suggest that, at least in certain contexts, users' evaluations of usability and aesthetics are positively correlated. Aesthetics was also found to be correlated with overall user preferences of the interactive system. One problem in evaluating the relative importance of these system attributes is that one cannot assume that stated preferences or evaluations will automatically be translated into actual choice. Evaluating an alternative favorably does not necessarily translate to choosing that alternative over other options. ...
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Papers by Tamar Ben-bassat