Aline Chevalier

Université de Toulouse · CLLE Lab (CNRS UMR 5263)

BACKGROUND Nowadays, Internet has become the primary source of information for physicians seeking answers to medical questions about their patients before consulting colleagues. However, many websites display information of low quality, less reliability, and lack scientific verification. Therefore, physicians need to develop information search skil...

While a clear distinction is established between simple lookup tasks and complex exploratory tasks, few studies have documented the differences between complex lookup tasks and simple exploratory tasks. To address this empirical gap, which has implications for system adaptability, the present study focused on these differences and the impact of use...

Health literacy (HL) is critical to find, understand and use health information for adopting appropriate health behavior, especially during a pandemic crisis in which people can be exposed to an overwhelming amount of information from different media. To this end, we conducted an online study to first validate the measure of COronaVIrus Disease app...

This study focus on queries formulation strategies when expert users in a medical or computer science domain solved complex tasks. Ten medical students and ten computer science students had to perform four fact-finding search tasks (two simple tasks and two inferential tasks) and six learning tasks (two exploratory, two decision-making and two prob...

The increasing complexity of interconnected systems, organizations and environmental instability open on one hand new functional features and unexpected levels of systemic efficiency, but on the other hand leads to great challenges to maintain a good level of usability. We assume that the complex systems should be adapted to human capacities and go...

Icons are intended to provide meaning and to allow users to interact with touchscreen and mobile systems. As users of these systems include older people, the present study focused on the effect of aging on the interpretation and use of icons during a navigational task. An experiment on a touchscreen tablet was conducted to determine the effects of...

The present study investigated the effects of three different graphic organizers (different types of concept maps) on students’ interaction with a hypertext and learning outcome. We examined the impact of a linear graphic outline, an expert-provided concept map and a self-generated concept map on students’ hypertext processing (i.e. time spent read...

Interacting with a search engine to search for information is an essential component in our information society. Yet, information search can be a complex task as users can face challenges when processing a staggering amount of information. Research in cognitive psychology and ergonomics has shown important individual differences in search strategie...

Two experimental studies were carried out to investigate whether adding multimedia features in a concept mapping task would improve the quality of the map built by students and promote more effective learning with expository hypertexts. Ninety-Nine undergraduates built a concept map to learn about a topic (water cycle or nitrogen cycle) either w...

This study investigates how a search interface that displays users’ ultimate query (i.e. users’ current search goal) can cope with the age-related decrease of fluid abilities and support older users’ search behaviors. 30 young and 18 older adults completed 9 search problems with a regular web browser or with the experimental search interface. Resul...

The present study aimed at investigating how pre-activating prior topic knowledge before browsing the web can support information search performance and strategies of young and older users. The experiment focus on analyzing to what extent prior knowledge pre-activation might cope with older users' difficulties when interacting with a search engine....

The complexity level of the interactive environments enhances since the beginning of the digital revolution. This phenomenon is linked to the systems interconnections handling more and more varied functions and automation levels. Faced with this complexity, the users are often becoming destitute. An ergonomic approach of these systems should allow...

Many studies have consistently found evidence of aging-related navigation difficulties that lead to disorientation behaviors and/or reduced travel. Despite technological advances, older pedestrians mainly use paper maps to find their way in unknown environments while they have a lot of difficulties in using and interacting with them efficiently. In...

This study investigated how a search interface that supports the refresh of the search goal in working memory can improve navigation for older users.

Navigating websites is a common daily activity for many people. But websites may introduce usability problems that can disturb activity of web users, which may be more detrimental when users navigate tablet or smartphone (with small displays) and as the complexity of the navigation increases. To test this hypothesis, we carried out a study in which...

This study investigated how supporting search goal refreshing in working memory could cope with older adults’ lower fluid abilities and helped them search for information with a search engine. 18 older and 30 young adults searched for information to four complex search problems with a classic search interface or with a search interface that display...

Searching for information on the internet has become a daily activity. It is considered to be a complex cognitive activity that involves visual attention. Many studies have demonstrated that users’ information search are affected both by the spatial configuration of words and the elements displayed on the screen: elements that are used to structure...

Introduction: Older pedestrians are overrepresented in fatal accidents. Studies consistently show gap-acceptance difficulties, especially in complex traffic situations such as two-way streets and when vehicles approached rapidly. In this context, the present research was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a vibrotactile device and study older...

The present study focused on the impact of age and domain knowledge on the information searching strategies used to produce queries and evaluate the search engine result pages. To this end, twenty young and twenty older adults search for information for twelve search problems related to fantastic movies and health domain. Results showed that older...

In this study, we evaluated the ability of computational cognitive models of web-navigation like CoLiDeS and CoLiDeS+ to model i) user interactions with search engines and ii) individual differences in search behavior due to variations in cognitive factors such as aging. CoLiDeS and CoLiDeS+ were extended to predict user clicks on search engine res...

La présente étude s’intéresse aux effets de l’âge et des connaissances antérieures sur le domaine pour lequel les utilisateurs recherchent de l’information. L’étude conduite auprès de 26 jeunes et 22 âgés a évalué le rôle d’un dispositif d’aide à la recherche par pré-activation des connaissances antérieures dans les stratégies élaborées pour résoud...

The present study addressed the age-related differences in query production and information searching performance when interacting with a search engine. To this end, 20 older adults and 20 young ones performed 12 information search problems of varying complexity in two knowledge domains (health and fantastic movies). Participants had simple (useful...

This study investigated the effects of age, prior domain knowledge and prior knowledge semantic pre-activation task on information searching. Results showed that the age-related differences were observed for the fantastic movies domain (for which older adults had significantly lower prior knowledge), whereas the effects of age were not replicated i...

In this paper, we fill a dearth in the literature of Internet self-efficacy measurement. We introduce the translation and validation of the Chinese-Mandarin version of the 8-item Information Retrieval On the Web Self-Efficacy scale (IROWSE scale) which has been originally developed in French language (Rodon & Meyer, 2017). After back-forward transl...

This study focuses on the impact of age, prior domain knowledge and cognitive abilities on performance, query production and navigation strategies during information searching. Twenty older adults and nineteen young adults had to answer 12 information search problems of varying nature within two domain knowledge: health and manga. In each domain,...

The design of technical systems supporting human performances is still an important challenge today because the dynamic interactions usually generate large uncertainties. To assist the pilots, the automated and interconnected systems relying on complex functionalities should be simple to use or in another words simplex. Based on a systemic approach...

Many researches focused on systems design in interaction with dynamic processes. We call simplex, systems based on complex functionalities and simple concepts. In the aeronautical field, uncertainties coming from these interactions affect the complexity level of pilots' activity. Currently, there is no consensus on the way to grasp this complexity...

This study examined the effects of prior domain knowledge and learning sequences on learning with concept mapping and hypertext. Participants either made a concept map in a first step and then read the hypertext's contents combined with concept mapping (high activating condition), or they read the hypertext's contents first and then made a concept...

The present study addressed age-related differences in performance and strategies while searching for information on the Web while considering specific processes involved in the search activity on the Internet. To this end, 10 older and 10 younger adults were instructed to use Google to find information. The search questions varied and increased in...

This paper looks at two limitations of cognitive models of web-navigation: first, they do not account for the entire process of information search and second, they do not account for the differences in search behavior caused by aging. To address these limitations, data from an experiment in which two types of information search tasks (simple and di...

L’étude présentée s’intéresse à l’effet de l’âge, du domaine de connaissances et de la complexité des questions sur la production de requêtes et la navigation dans des tâches de recherche d’informations. Vingt adultes âgés et dix-neuf jeunes adultes ont eu douze questions de recherche à effectuer dans deux domaines de connaissances différents : la...

Haptic technologies can open up new avenues for assisting older people in their daily activities, in particular in navigation and orientation tasks. A number of haptic wearables have already proven their usefulness for younger individuals. However, older adults' specific needs for a haptic navigation aid have seldom been investigated. The same is v...

Dans une perspective d’étude macro ergonomique des relations interprofessionnelles au sein du bloc opératoire, nous avons utilisé le levier des communications verbales et des transferts d’informations pour étudier les mécanismes impliqués dans l’établissement d’une conscience collective de la situation. Nous avons filmé six opérations dont le dérou...

This study deals with information-seeking on the Web with a focus on the use of more than one language. Native speakers (NS) of French (N=20) were compared with non-native speakers (NNS) of French (N=30) as to how they sought for answers to given questions using Google. Half of the NNSs (N=14) were also asked to change language and find the answers...

Risk of adverse events occurring in relationship with patients’ safety during surgery in operating rooms (OR) had been the preoccupation of many health care surveys. These events are reported to be mainly due to communication malfunction (World Alliance for Patient Safety, 2009). Following these reports, our research aims to understand how the diff...

Introduction Previous studies have shown that the schedule of conditions orientates the designers’ activity. It leads them to generate and consider more constraints linked to the prescribed ones (provided in the schedule of conditions). In addition, when designers had to evaluate websites before making their productions, they reused into their own...

The user experience is defined as 'a person' perceptions and responses that result from the use and/or anticipated use of a product, system or service' (ISO FDIS 9241-210, 2009) [Ergonomics of human system interaction Ergonomics of human system interaction . Part 210: human-centered design for interactive systems (formerly known as 13407). Switzerl...

This chapter reports on two studies. The first study (Study A) concentrates on information seeking in one’s first language (L1, French and Finnish university students) and in a foreign language (French as L2; Finnish university students). The second study (Study B) concentrates on the effects of raising awareness in information seeking in L2 (Frenc...

Since the 1990s, the number of websites and web users, especially older users, has increased extensively. Despite the rapid growth in the number of websites, a significant number of ergonomic violations still hinder the information search activity performed by web users. As ageing is associated with reduced working memory capacity, inhibition failu...

IntroductionThis article exposes a brief history of information search models, from general and behavioural models to cognitive ones and presents recent theoretical advances in this research field.Literature findingsSince the beginning of 1990s, many theoretical models have tried to describe and predict the human behaviours involved in the informat...

To facilitate an efficient homework planning strategy, scheduling software tools should take students’ needs into consideration, in order to provide information that is useful for planning homework and that minimizes cognitive load.In order to contribute to the design of a time management interface that could support students in their interactions...

The present study investigated the role of cognitive flexibility and vocabulary abilities in explaining age-related differences in information searching with a search engine. Nineteen older and 20 younger participants had to carry out nine searches and to complete a battery of cognitive tests. Older participants obtained poorer search performance w...

The present study addressed age-related differences in performance to find information by older and younger web users. More precisely, we determined the impact of prior domain knowledge (high level vs low level) of older and younger adults and the interface organization (taxonomical-HS vs tag-based organization-TBS) on information search performanc...

The present study addressed age-related differences in performances and strategies developed by web users while searching for information. Ten older and 10 younger adults had to search for information with Google and to answer 9 questions varying in complexity: from simple ones (participants needed to use keywords provided in the questions) to impo...

This pilot study investigated the age-related differences in searching for information on the World Wide Web with a search engine. 11 older adults (6 men, 5 women; M age=59 yr., SD=2.76, range=55-65 yr.) and 12 younger adults (2 men, 10 women; M=23.7 yr., SD=1.07, range=22-25 yr.) had to conduct six searches differing in complexity, and for which a...

BETWEEN CREATIVITY, AESTHETICS AND ERGONOMICS IN WEB PAGE DESIGN : THE ROLE OF A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEM ON WEB DESIGNERS’ ACTIVITIES Web designers have to create websites that fit the users’ needs as well as the client’s needs, which may be sometimes conflicted. Taking into account these two viewpoints (users and client) reflects the management of...

Web design is a complex problem in which designers have to consider the user's and the client's viewpoints to make satisfactory websites. Designers, particularly proficient ones, tend to privilege to the client's viewpoint to the detriment of the users' one. Consequently, websites often contain many usability violations and do not fit users' cognit...

This research explores how designers mentally categorize design information during early sketching in the ea rly st ages of design. With t he purpose o f i dentifying va rious t ypes of m ental i nformation and related cognitive operations, the empirical study has b een conducted with 8 experienced product designers through the concurrent verbaliza...

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Over the last few decades, several usability knowledge-based systems have been developed to provide user interface designers with usability knowledge (e.g. heuristics, usability guidelines, standards). Such systems are intended to assist designers during the design process, and to improve the usability of the user interface being designed. However,...

Mental workload is a concept central to a range of disciplines (including cognitive psychology and ergonomics) that has given rise to various theoretical and methodological debates. As a result, researchers have used a number of techniques for measuring mental workload. Traditionally, three categories of measurement technique have been recognized:...

A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO CONSTRAINTS IN PROBLEM-SOLVING Many studies have been conducted on the role of constraints in psychology and artificial intelligence (AI) since the 1960s. In psychology as well as in AI, these studies were carried out in various problem-solving domains, such as design or scheduling, and involved cooperative or individual...

Many studies have been conducted on the role of constraints in psychology and artificial intelligence (AI) since the 1960s. In psychology as well as in AI, these studies were carried out in various problem-solving domains, such as design or scheduling, and involved cooperative or individual problem-solving. Although many definitions and approaches...

Malgré la forte dissémination de l’usage d’Internet, de nombreuses études rapportent que les utilisateurs ne sont pas entièrement satisfaits des sites web qu’ils utilisent. Les internautes jeunes (des adolescents aux adultes d’environ 45-50 ans) déclarent se trouver désorientés dans de nombreux sites web et que leurs recherches se soldent malheureu...

The present study aims at determining the role of the stakeholder (via a user vs a client spokesperson) on the importance allocated to information and constraints considered by novice and professional web designers. Analysis showed all designers focused mainly on clients' constraints and information even when they dealt with a user spokesperson: th...

This paper aims at contributing to a better understanding of the cognitive activities of web site designers and, more precisely, their articulation and satisfaction of various design constraints. In this paper, we first present an experiment in which professional and novice designers have to evaluate a web site developed for reflecting usability er...

Mental workload is a central concept to a range of disciplines (including cognitive ergonomics) and has been the subject of various debates. As a result, a number of different techniques have been used by researchers. In this study, we focus on the comparison of performance and physiological measures of mental workload. We describe a puzzle-solving...

Despite rapid growth in the number of websites, there is still a significant number of ergonomic problems, which hinder cognitive activities of web users. As cognitive aging is generally associated with a decrease of working memory capacities, an inhibition failure and a slowing of the speed of processing, we argue that aging may have negative effe...

How professional and novice designers manage multiple objectives through constraint satisfaction was studied. An objective is defined as a network of constraints; a constraint is characterized as related to a source (internal or external) and an addressee (e.g., client or user). It has been shown that designers favour objectives related to external...

Despite rapid growth in the number of web sites, there is still a significant number of ergonomic problems which hinder web users. Many studies focus on analysing cognitive processes and difficulties experienced by web users, but very few are interested in web designers’ difficulties or in comparing their respective activities. Towards this end, th...

This study aims at supporting Web designers to consider more user constraints and addressed why designers focus on client constraints and experience difficulties considering user ones. Novice and professional Web designers had either to deal with ergonomic constraints or to ask an human factors specialist for any information they needed to create a...

This work addresses the question of supporting Web designers in considering usability in their work in order to foster user-centered design of Web sites. With the MetroWeb tool that is described in this paper, designers can access usability guidelines contained in usability knowledge bases, and use them to design a particular Web site based on thes...

This study aims at determining the effect of the orientation of the constraint conditions as a support for making web sites easier to use. Toward this end, we suggested to professional and novice web site designers to make a web site sketch according to an user constraint condition only with ergonomic constraints (UCC), or a mixed constraint condit...

Nowadays, much research examines both the cognitive difficulties encountered by web site users and the development of ergonomic guidelines for designers. However, few studies examine designers’ cognitive functioning while designing web sites. We defend the idea that determining the difficulties web site designers encounter is necessary to better su...

Résumé Cette étude vise à déterminer l'effet du niveau de précision du cahier des charges à satisfaire et du niveau d'expertise des concepteurs sur les contraintes liées au commanditaire mobilisées par les concepteurs pour résoudre un problème créatif de conception. Pour cela, des concepteurs professionnels et débutants de sites web doivent élabore...

We present two studies that we conducted to determine the effect of a short training program in applying usability criteria and recommendations on the evaluation and improvement of a web site, which contained usability problems. This training program presented web site usability criteria and recommendations. We conducted the two studies with novice...

EFFECT OF DESIGNERS’ LEVEL OF EXPERTISE ON ARTICULATED CONSTRAINTS AND ERGONOMIC QUALITY OF WEB SITE SKETCHES A great deal of research today examines the cognitive difficulties encountered by web site users, as well as the development of ergonomic guidelines for designers and the development of automatic evaluation tools. However, few studies focus...