Event-related brain potentials corroborate subjectively optimal delay in computer response to a user's action

Abstract

This study examined how the presentation timing of a computer response to a user operation affects attention allocated to the stimulus. Event-related brain potentials were recorded in response to auditory stimuli that were presented after a single mouse button press with three different durations of delay: 0, 150, and 300 ms. The amplitude of the P300 component, which is assumed to reflect the amount of attentional resources allocated to the eliciting event, increased when the stimuli were presented 150 ms after button press, compared with when the same stimuli were presented immediately (0 ms) or 300 ms after button press. These results are consistent with a previous psychophysical finding that the insertion of a moderate delay interval can increase the user's sense of control, and suggest that ERPs can be used as an objective tool for assessing the state of attention in a particular interface design. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.