An empirical evaluation of knowledge, cognitive style, and structure upon the performance of a hypertext task

In an effort to reduce navigation difficulties, recent research suggests that user characteristics need to be considered when designing a hypertext document. This study evaluated the effects of an individual's cognitive characteristics in conjunction with the nature of the hypertext task. Subjects of varying levels of knowledge and cognitive style, specifically field independence/field dependence, utilized a hypertext document to answer explicitly and inherently structured questions. Among other findings, experienced field‐dependent subjects’ performance was less than that of experienced field‐independent subjects’, specifically when explicit structure was provided. The results suggest that the existing knowledge structure of experienced field‐dependent subjects may conflict with explicitly structured hypertext. Implications for the appropriate design of hypertext systems are discussed.