The Role of Social Interactions in the Interaction Discovery of Keyboard Shortcuts

People involved

Gilles Bailly; Ignacio Avellino; Emeline Brulé; Sylvain Malaria

Abstract

We investigate how the keyboard shortcuts method is discovered, a prerequisite for adopting their use. We designed and distributed a large-scale retrospective survey (N=853) focused on capturing narratives of first-time use of keyboard shortcuts. We find that (1) respondents largely report a social interaction as the event leading to the discovery, with only few reporting the use of computer aids such as tooltips; (2) most respondents discover keyboard shortcuts in elementary or middle school (6–14 years old), although this depends on the local educational policy; (3) the discovery generally occurs with a teacher, a classmate or family member while doing schoolwork; and, (4) respondents often report a strong emotional reaction to this discovery.

Project description