Revisiting PointAssist and Studying Eff...

Previous in-depth analyses of the cursor paths taken by young children when they point at screen targets have shown that the fine-tuning movements that are necessary to accurately position the cursor over a small target can be very troublesome. We present two mouse pointing experiments with four-year-olds; the first re-evaluates the effect of PointAssist, a technique designed to help children performing fine-tuning movements by tracking the cursor and manipulating the cursor control-display gain in problem situations. The results partially confirm previously reported results showing that PointAssist can improve children's pointing accuracy when pointing at small targets. The second experiment investigates the effect of various (constant) cursor control-display gains on children's pointing performance. The results suggest a preference for higher gains.