Hard-copy versus Computer Presentation of the SuperShrink Interview Simulation

Abstract

The effects of realism and perceived control on student satisfaction with the SuperShrink interview simulation were investigated via a 2 × 2 comparison of active/passive and computer/hard-copy conditions. Students rated the computer versions as more satisfying and as promoting a greater sense of realism than the printed materials. Students perceived having more control in the active than the passive conditions, but this perception was not accompanied by differences in satisfaction. These data suggest that computers are superior to hard-copy simulations of human interaction, perhaps because they enhance realism rather than control.