Influence of Control — Display Compatibility on Tracking Behaviour

Abstract

In continuous tracking tasks it is generally accepted that the level of compatibility between control and display influences the accuracy of tracking performance. However, the nature of the changes in tracking behaviour have not been specified. In this study two experiments are reported in which the effect of control-display compatibility on pursuit visual tracking performance is assessed by means of a cross correlational and spectral analysis. A reduction in control-display compatibility results in a decrease in gain, an increase in phase lag, and an increase in average amplitude of the remnant component of the operator's response. The utility of these measures as descriptors of tracking behaviour is discussed with reference to the results obtained if overall measures of error are used.