ABSTRACT
The main practical and theoretical foundation for individualization is the principle of differential and dynamic work design developed by scientists at the ETH Zurich on the basis of occupational and organizational psychology. Interindividual and intraindividual variations over time in the different degrees of users' experience and familiarity with software call for suitable man–computer interfaces. The user no longer has a command of the full range of interactive options, the other two routes to flexible system use also have a role to play: individualization via auto-adaptivity and adaptability. This chapter deals with adaptability. It considers adaptations that can be made either by the user himself or by some other person in the use environment without recourse to the manufacturer's expertise. The chapter discusses published findings on how users take advantage of adaptability. It overviews the possible areas for making adaptations, that is "what" can be adapted, is divided into two main topics: adaptations of functionality and interface adaptations.
