Applicability of location compatibility to the arrangement of display and control in human - Vehicle systems: Comparison between young and older adults

The effects of age on applicability of the location compatibility principle to the design of display and control systems were discussed. A dual-task experiment was conducted, in which the primary task was first-order tracking. The secondary tasks included control of an air conditioner, the operation of a radio and the operation of a CD/MD, by means of either a steering wheel-mounted switch or a console-mounted switch. The display was arranged either in front of or on the left side of a participant. Performance of the young group did not completely follow predictions of the compatibility principle. In particular, the principle did not apply to the left-side display condition. The steering wheel-mounted switch was more effective than the left-side switch even for the left-side display. The compatibility principle was applicable to both front and left-side displays for the older adults. For the front display, the steering wheel-mounted switch was more effective. Such differences should be taken into account when designing display and control systems in man - vehicle systems.