Michael Minge

Hedonic and pragmatic halo effects at early stages of User Experience

We examine changes in product-related perceptions and emotions at early stages and for short-time usage.Before any interaction takes place, the visual aesthetics of the device influences perceived usability.Already after a short period of interacting with the product, this influence vanishes and system usability starts affecting perceived visual attractiveness and emotions.To account for both influences, we distinguish between a hedonic halo effect (beautiful is usable) and a pragmatic halo effect (usable gets beautiful).Based on the results, we propose that a heuristic may bias ratings of usability in the beginning while emotions may bias ratings of aesthetics at later stages. User Experience (UX) has emerged as a comprehensive concept which provides a holistic perspective on users interaction with technology. This concept can be characterized as a multidimensional phenomenon that comprises both, the perception of different product qualities as well as emotions that arise while using a product. The interrelations of these components are described in the Component Model of User Experience (CUE model), which serves as the theoretical basis for our experiment. UX can be investigated in different phases of usage. In our experiment, we examined product perceptions and emotions in early phases and for short-time usage. Sixty participants employed different versions of mobile digital audio players which were systematically varied with respect to visual aesthetics and usability. Essential aspects of UX, i.e., perceptions of visual attractiveness and usability, as well as emotional responses were measured at three stages: Before interacting with the device, after an exploration (2min) and after working with the system for a short time (15min) to solve a given set of tasks. Data was analysed using a 223 mixed MANCOVA. The results of the experiment show that influences of visual aesthetics and of usability on quality perceptions as well as emotions change during these early stages. Moreover, evidence for two different halo effects was found: On the one hand, visual aesthetics influenced perceived usability in the beginning. On the other hand, the usability of the device impacted the perceived visual attractiveness and emotional responses at later stages. To account for these findings, we suggest to distinguish a hedonic halo effect from a pragmatic one. Based on the results for both effects, we propose that two mechanisms may be responsible for the effects during short-time usage, one of them being cognitive in nature, the other emotional.

The meCUE Questionnaire: A Modular Tool for Measuring User Experience

Nowadays, a satisfying user experience is the goal of any user-centered design activity and the key to success for any technical device. User experience (UX) is a holistic concept that emphasizes the importance of subjective appraisals, feelings and motivational tendencies before, during and after interacting with a technical product. It includes numerous aspects, such as usability, aesthetics, social communication of personal values, emotional stimulation and motivational support for using and reusing the product. Based on a comprehensive framework of UX, the Components model of User Experience (CUE) by Thuring and Mahlke (Int J Psychol 42:253–264, 2007, [1]), a new questionnaire for a standardized measurement of UX was developed, the meCUE questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of four separately validated modules which refer to instrumental and non-instrumental product perceptions, user emotions, consequences of usage, and an overall judgment of attractiveness. The construction of the questionnaire was based on two online data collections, in which n = 238 subjects participated respectively. Two laboratory experiments and a further online survey were conducted for determining the reliability and the validity of the questionnaire. Results support the assumption that both, the internal consistency of the constructed scales as well as their discriminative, criterion-related and construct validity are highly acceptable. Therefore, meCUE is a valuable and economic instrument for measuring key aspects of UX providing a promising alternative to existing questionnaires.

Developing and validating an English version of the meCUE questionnaire for measuring user experience

Based on the Component model of User Experience (CUE), a standardized questionnaire (meCUE) was developed measuring key aspects of user experience (UX) for interactive products. The questionnaire consists of 34 items and covers four components: product perceptions (usefulness, usability, visual aesthetics, status, commitment), user emotions (positive, negative), consequences of usage (intention to use, product loyalty), and overall judgment. The modules were separately validated in a series of studies. Therefore, meCUE can be easily adapted to specific research goals by simply choosing those modules which are required. The original German questionnaire was translated into an English version that was validated in an online study. Fifty-eight native English speakers assessed a wide variety of interactive products, such as cell phones, digital cameras, PCs, laptops, tablets, software and mobile applications. Results show that the English version reliably assesses the key components of UX and that the internal consistency of its scales is high.

Exploring the Potential of Gameful Interaction Design of ICT for the Elderly

Due to increasing technologization and demographic changes, more and more elderly people are facing the challenge of using information and communication technology (ICT). ICT can be an essential facilitator for positive aging by promoting the participation of elderly in society, as well as activating their cognitive and motoric resources. However, elderly people often struggle to use technical devices and therefore miss the benefits of digital age. Feelings of helplessness and fear towards technology are often reinforced by previous experiences that have been perceived as frustrating. We believe that adding game elements to an ICT application can overcome some of the motivational barriers which older adults face by providing pleasurable experiences and hedonic value to the interaction with technology.

The Gods Play Dice Together: The Influence of Social Elements of Gamification on Seniors’ User Experience

Due to increasing technologization and demographic changes, more and more elderly people are facing the challenge to use internet-based services for information and communication (ICT). In order to reduce frustrating experiences with ICT, such as feelings of helplessness and fear as well as motivational barriers, gamification and serious games are a promising approach. However, we assume that, when designing gamified applications for senior citizens, social aspects play an important role. Our research question aimed at comparing subjective enjoyment and motivational effects by providing different sociable gameplay conditions.

The MeCUE Questionnaire (2.0): Meeting Five Basic Requirements for Lean and Standardized UX Assessment

Five requirements can be considered as basic for a standardized and lean measurement of user experience (UX): Comprehensiveness of the assessment, efficiency of execution, intelligibility of items and scales, psychometric quality as well as adaptability to different research contexts and types of applications. meCUE is a questionnaire in German and English that was developed to meet these requirements. It is theoretically based on the CUE model (Components of User Experience) and consists of 34 items which cover the components of the model and their sub-constructs: product perceptions (usefulness, usability, visual aesthetics, status, commitment), user emotions (positive, negative), consequences of use (intention to use, product loyalty), and overall evaluation. Items are grouped into four modules which correspond to these components. The modules were separately validated in a series of studies and meCUE has been used in several surveys to assess UX. Insights from this practical use pointed out that items for instrumental product qualities (usefulness, usability) and those for non-instrumental qualities (visual aesthetics, status, commitment) should not be grouped together into the same module. The new version meCUE 2.0 fulfills this demand by splitting up the module for product perceptions into two sub-modules, one for instrumental and one for non-instrumental product qualities. To ensure that this structural change does not impair the psychometric quality of the questionnaire, two data sets were re-analyzed that had formerly been used to validate the German and English version. The results of the analyses confirm that the psychometric quality of both versions remains intact. Due to the modified structure of meCUE 2.0, investigators are no longer obliged to incorporate items for both, instrumental and non-instrumental product qualities into their studies. Hence, the new version of the questionnaire significantly increases efficiency and adaptability and offers more degrees of freedom for combining its modules.

Developing a Mobile System for Children and Teenagers with Scoliosis to Improve Therapy Adherence

This project aimed at developing a mobile support system for children and teenagers in scoliosis bracing therapy. The system comprises multiple sensors measuring the individual wearing behavior and a smartphone-based application which serves as the systems user interface. The app has been developed following a user-centered design approach and by integrating participatory design and ethnographic methods. At the beginning, a special emphasis was placed on identifying the needs of the user group. Main operating functions as well as the interaction concept were iteratively refined and optimized by involving users in all stages of product development. For evaluation, we conducted a series of follow-up usability tests and a multi-day field survey. We report and analyze the challenges we were confronted with before and during of the product development process.

Designing for Social Support in a Mobile Health Application for Children and Adolescents

The experience of relatedness to others is a key intrinsic motivator for human behavior. Therefore, social support can be seen as a promising factor for enhancing intrinsic motivation, thus, leading to an improvement in health-promoting behavior. That is why in this study, an effort towards the development and user-centered evaluation of different design concepts for realizing social support in a mobile health application was made. The goal of this application is to improve treatment adherence in children and adolescents diagnosed with scoliosis that have to wear a back brace as their prescribed orthotic treatment. The application, in its current form, helps patients to track their brace wear time and provides them with knowledge about scoliosis. Additional features have been created in the form of storyboards, offering the possibility to provide and receive different types of social support as defined in the social support theory by House, i.e., appraisal, informational and emotional support. To test the effects of these support types on intrinsic motivation, the storyboards were evaluated in an online study, with 33 children and adolescents diagnosed with scoliosis. Results show that for informational and appraisal support, significant main effects could be observed, while emotional support did not substantially improve intrinsic motivation. The study was helpful in prioritizing the next implementation steps for the application and to justify the decisions empirically with data from a user’s point of view.

Common Challenges in Ethical Practice when Testing Technology with Human Participants: Analyzing the Experiences of a Local Ethics Committee

Abstract Ethical aspects are of key importance in research and the development of technical systems. They play a major role when the societal impact of innovative products and new technologies is considered. However, ethics are already essential during technology development, especially when testing these technologies with human participants. The latter is becoming increasingly important when applying for project funding and for publishing peer reviewed journal papers. Responding to these needs, a local ethics committee at the Department of Psychology and Ergonomics at Technische Universität Berlin was founded in 2009. In this paper, we present an analysis of common pitfalls and blind spots that were detected by reviewers of this ethics committee. We studied the reviews of 98 applications for ethical approval. Results show that researchers (a) often lack concrete knowledge about potential ethical issues of their research and (b) that they might benefit from convenient tools to address relevant ethical challenges at early stages of product design. Based on the results of our analysis, we propose a set of six simple rules that can help to detect and to overcome most of the frequently appearing ethical issues.

A Smartphone-based System to Improve Adherence in Scoliosis Therapy

Abstract This project developed and evaluated a smartphone-based feedback system to improve adherence in long-term therapy of scoliotic curves occurring in pubertal growth spurt. A scoliosis means a physical deformity in spine, which can be treated with wearing a thoraco-lumbar orthosis (brace). The therapy is promising if the medical device is worn at least 16 hours a day for several years. To support the adolescent patients reaching their therapy goals, the barriers and resources for a successful bracing treatment were explored in several interviews and workshops with scoliosis patients. In scoliosis therapy, patients usually experience therapeutic success at the beginning of the treatment, whereas after six months the progress normally stagnates and motivation for long-term therapy decreases. In this article we describe the user-centered design of a quiz function as a health education tool within the aforementioned smartphone-based feedback system to improve adherence in long-term therapy of scoliotic curves.