Put That There NOW: Group Dynamics of Tabletop Interaction under Time Pressure

Collaborative user applications such as tabletop applications are a challenge to develop because user behaviour is affected not only by the software interface but also by group dynamics. Feedback loops abound in this system so even relatively minor changes in the software can lead to large changes in user behaviour. Designing such interfaces with any degree of predictability requires a thorough understanding of the user's behavioural patterns. Much of the current research on enhancing group collaboration have focused on so called "non time- critical" applications in which the group is free to take as long as they want to perform a task. This is contrasted with "time-critical" applications like disaster management or surgery where the timing of each step affects the eventual outcome. This paper investigates how behaviour patterns for time-critical scenarios differs from reported behaviours for non time-critical scenarios and how these differences have implications for the design of time-critical, collaborative tabletop software. An observational study was performed to investigate those specific differences are and what implications this has for the design of time critical software. Several findings were discovered which contradict the previous research done on non-time-critical applications, leading to new implications for social software design. A behavioural model based on scarce cognitive load was found to be a useful model of thinking about designing time critical applications.