When feasible, confirmation steps should draw attention to the goal of the action, not just to the action.
Additional Information:
Confirmation steps require the user to respond to a warning or advisory message. For example, the user may respond to the question, 'Are you sure you want to do this?' by pressing 'Yes' or 'No.' Like verification steps, confirmation steps attempt to reduce input errors by increasing the effort (i.e., the number of steps) and drawing users' attention to the input operation. A problem with confirmation steps is that they are often ill timed, occurring just after the user initiated the action and is still fully content with the choice. If the user requests an action but specifies the wrong object to be acted upon (e.g., the user requests a file deletion but specifies the wrong file), the system's request for confirmation is not likely to help the user detect the error. At this point, the user is apt to focus on confirming the action (e.g., deletion) rather than the object (e.g., which file). The potential benefits of confirmation steps should be weighed by comparing their effects on the user's response time (e.g., potential delays) to the potential consequences associated with the errors that are being guarded against.