When Should Feedback be Provided in Online Forms? : Using Revisits as a Measurement of Optimal Scanpath Disruption and Re-evaluating the Modal Theory of Form Completion.

Abstract: In web forms, feedback can be provided to users at different points in time. This study investigates these three ways of providing feedback to find which results in the shortest completion time, which results in the lowest number of gaze revisits to input fields, and which type of feedback the users prefer. This was investigated through development of prototypes that were tested with 30 participants in a within-group design after which they were interviewed about their experiences. Providing feedback instantly or after form submission resulted in significantly shorter completion times than providing feedback after users left a field. Providing feedback instantly also resulted in significantly fewer revisits to input fields compared to providing feedback after leaving a field. Through a thematic analysis, users’ experiences were shown to be the most negative when given feedback after form submission, while the most positive experiences occurred when users were given feedback immediately. The results indicate that providing feedback immediately may be an equally good or better alternative to earlier research recommendations to provide feedback after form submission and that revisits to areas of interest may, with further research, be a measurement of optimal scanpath disruption.