An Investigation of Dwell Time in Cursor Positioning Movements

Abstract

Recently, researchers have emphasized the need to examine the separate phases of movements using electromechanical pointing devices in human-computer interaction. It has been shown that up to 50% of total time to select a target is spent in the dwell phase (interval of time between the termination of overt movement and target designation via button press, etc.). The present study tested the visual feedback processing hypothesis as an explanation for the functional significance of dwell time in cursor-positioning movements. Results indicate that the duration of dwell time could not be fully accounted for by changes in visual processing demands. Instead, it appears that a critical determinant of dwell time duration is the implementation of different cognitive strategies regarding the stage in the movement at which certain parameters (e.g. target width and distance) are accounted for.