Transfer between word processing systems

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine knowledge transfer between word processing systems. The study examined the performance of naive subjects learning to use a word processing system, as well as performance of individuals with word processing experience as they learned to use a new system. Subjects initially familiar with one system carried out a series of tasks on this system and then were asked to carry out a similar series of tasks on a second system with which they were initially unfamiliar. The second systems varied in similarity to the first system along several dimensions. Subject performance was significantly slower on the second set of tasks for all groups compared to a control group using a single system. The reduced performance is attributed primarily to 'syntactic' differences in the user interfaces of the systems.