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Could a factor be that most people primarily typewrite now so it’s second nature muscle memory but the handwriting task requires just a little extra effort? I

by dcow 2y ago

Could a factor be that most people primarily typewrite now so it’s second nature muscle memory but the handwriting task requires just a little extra effort? I didn't see preexisting disposition factored in at all, so I’m curious.

squigz 2y ago
I think it's actually the opposite - most people can't touch type, so they spend more time and concentration trying to type, which means less focus on the actual content. I would think that handwriting is more muscle memory for most people, thus they can focus more on what they're writing, making connections to it, etc.
- vishnugupta 2y ago
  I didn't read the paper but does this mean if one learns to touch type then there's no difference?
  - squigz 2y ago
    I'm not saying that, but I think it would bear consideration, which the study does not do.
  - base698 2y ago
    I think the difference in pressure holding the pen or pencil and the dexterity required to form letters still activates way more of the brain than simple touch type would.
- hakanderyal 2y ago
  There aren’t any information in this study about if there were any touch typists. This would be an interesting variable to test for.
  - squigz 2y ago
    The typewriting participants were explicitly not touch typing - they were instructed to... type with a single index finger... > participants were instructed to either (a) write in cursive with their right hand the presented word with a digital pen directly on the screen, or (b) type the presented word using the right index finger on the keyboard.
    - _flux 2y ago
      still people who are touch typists are able to find the characters faster on the keyboard than others. this message is written that way to test that out, in parts where it was possible. however, in my case the blank keycaps did make the task a bit more difficult. i would write faster in cursive, and it might feel less effort. also the reason was outlined: > Allowing the use of (the fingers of) both hands would cause many unforeseen effects on the brain, which would make it hard to interpret the results. btw, this post was quite frustrating to write.
    - droningparrot 2y ago
      That might not be enough without any assessment of the subject's typing skill. Touch typists have effectively memorized the keyboard layout and would need less effort to find the key to type, even if limited to one finger at a time
    - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
      > The typewriting participants were explicitly not touch typing - they were instructed to... type with a single index finger... Looks like this did this because "allowing the use of (the fingers of) both hands would cause many unforeseen effects on the brain, which would make it hard to interpret the results," since handwriting is done with one hemisphere. Still weird.
- AceyMan 2y ago
  > most people can't touch type, While, statistically, that may be strictly true across the population, I suspect, in the main, people who are in an educational environment where note taking is a requirement can touch type. I don't recall meeting anyone in the modern office—irrespective of department or title—in the last 25 years who can't touch type.

by dcow 2y ago

squigz 2y ago

I think it's actually the opposite - most people can't touch type, so they spend more time and concentration trying to type, which means less focus on the actual content. I would think that handwriting is more muscle memory for most people, thus they can focus more on what they're writing, making connections to it, etc.

vishnugupta 2y ago
I didn't read the paper but does this mean if one learns to touch type then there's no difference?
- squigz 2y ago
  I'm not saying that, but I think it would bear consideration, which the study does not do.
- base698 2y ago
  I think the difference in pressure holding the pen or pencil and the dexterity required to form letters still activates way more of the brain than simple touch type would.
hakanderyal 2y ago
There aren’t any information in this study about if there were any touch typists. This would be an interesting variable to test for.
- squigz 2y ago
  The typewriting participants were explicitly not touch typing - they were instructed to... type with a single index finger... > participants were instructed to either (a) write in cursive with their right hand the presented word with a digital pen directly on the screen, or (b) type the presented word using the right index finger on the keyboard.
  - _flux 2y ago
    still people who are touch typists are able to find the characters faster on the keyboard than others. this message is written that way to test that out, in parts where it was possible. however, in my case the blank keycaps did make the task a bit more difficult. i would write faster in cursive, and it might feel less effort. also the reason was outlined: > Allowing the use of (the fingers of) both hands would cause many unforeseen effects on the brain, which would make it hard to interpret the results. btw, this post was quite frustrating to write.
  - droningparrot 2y ago
    That might not be enough without any assessment of the subject's typing skill. Touch typists have effectively memorized the keyboard layout and would need less effort to find the key to type, even if limited to one finger at a time
  - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
    > The typewriting participants were explicitly not touch typing - they were instructed to... type with a single index finger... Looks like this did this because "allowing the use of (the fingers of) both hands would cause many unforeseen effects on the brain, which would make it hard to interpret the results," since handwriting is done with one hemisphere. Still weird.
AceyMan 2y ago
> most people can't touch type, While, statistically, that may be strictly true across the population, I suspect, in the main, people who are in an educational environment where note taking is a requirement can touch type. I don't recall meeting anyone in the modern office—irrespective of department or title—in the last 25 years who can't touch type.