Computer Commands in Restricted Natural Language: Some Aspects of Memory and Experience

Abstract

In this experiment, two groups of subjects having different levels of experience with computers were tested to compare the learning and recall of computer command definitions that differed in context and redundancy and to study the effect of context change. The results show that inexperienced (naive) subjects have different requirements than do more experienced subjects. The experienced group recalls more meanings than the inexperienced group but is more negatively influenced by the number of competing words (that is, different words used to label the same computer function) than by contextual connotation. For the inexperienced subjects, particularly, it appears that computer-oriented words used as commands are better than more usual words. Besides, inexperienced subjects are more negatively influenced by context changes than are experienced subjects.