Abstract

Ill-organized hypertexts seem to underlie the phenomenon known as "lost in hyperspace" that is characterized by user disorientation and cognitive overload. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, there is a lack of specific tools for assessing how good the structural organization of a hypertext is. The aim of the present study was to assess, through a laboratory study, the sensitivity of a subjective scale realized to that purpose. Two web sites, identical as for contents and aesthetical characteristics, but different in their structural organizations, have been evaluated by two groups of subjects. Results showed sensitivity of the scale to structural differences.