Final answer:
Execute permission on a directory allows user access and traversal of the directory, but it does not grant the ability to read file contents without additional read permissions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Having execute permission on a directory within a computer's file system allows a user to access and traverse the directory, meaning they can enter the directory and access its contents. However, it's important to note that execute permission alone doesn't allow a user to read the contents of the files in the directory unless they also have read permission. In the context of Unix-like operating systems, execute permission on a directory is required to be able to list the files it contains when combined with read permission, but by itself only permits traversing its hierarchy.