Timo Saari

The spatial presence experience scale (SPES): A short self-report measure for diverse media settings

Abstract. The study of spatial presence is currently receiving increased attention in both media psychology and communication research. The present paper introduces the Spatial Presence Experience ...

Understanding the most influential user experiences in successful and unsuccessful technology adoptions

We studied most influential user experiences (UX) in successful and unsuccessful technology adoptions.Emotions were highly involved in the reported user experiences.Overall UX valence was affected by usefulness, need fulfillment, and negative emotions in successful adoptions.Overall UX valence was affected by usefulness, output quality, and negative emotions in unsuccessful adoptions.UX concepts can complement traditional approaches to gain a broader insight in technology adoption studies. Understanding processes underlying technology adoption or non-adoption is an important research theme often addressed using the technology acceptance model (TAM) approach. The objective of this research was to investigate most influential user experiences in successful and unsuccessful technology adoptions using user experience related concepts and methods in conjunction with the TAM. Participants (N=76) described their most influential user experiences related to one successful and one unsuccessful technology adoption process and evaluated both experiences using rating scales, including the central TAM related scales and user experience related scales probing emotions, psychological needs, user values, task load, and the impact of technology on the users well-being.The results suggested that user experience and technology acceptance related viewpoints can complement each other in order to gain a more holistic understanding of the factors affecting the success or failure of technology adoptions, and the results showed how these variables typically behave in both contexts. The overall valence of user experience was significantly affected by perceived usefulness, the fulfillment of psychological needs, and the salience of negative emotions in the most influential user experiences of successful adoptions, and by perceived usefulness, output quality, and the salience of negative emotions in the unsuccessful adoptions.

Reflections on experience-driven design: a case study on designing for playful experiences

User experience (UX) has been recognized as an important quality factor of interactive products and services. Current design practices aim at ensuring a generally pleasurable or satisfying UX. However, approaches and methods for designing for specific experiences are still scarce. This paper addresses experience-driven design (EDD) by reflecting upon a study where playful experiences (PLEX) were utilized as design targets in a practical design assignment of a post-graduate seminar. The outcomes and learning experiences imply that utilizing PLEX as target experiences in the EDD approach is a sound way to provide design inspiration and guidance, and help refining early design ideas. The pre-defined playful experiences were considered as fruitful starting points for brainstorming as well as constant reminders of the rationale of the design. The paper concludes with reflections on applying EDD and four roles in which it was found beneficial: guiding & framing, inspiring, evaluating and communicating.

Electrically tunable localized tunneling channels in silicene nanoribbons

The topological phase of a silicene nanoribbon holding edge states in the bulk energy gap can be easily broken by an external electric field. Here, we show through low-energy Greens function calculations that it is possible to localize conducting channels anywhere in a silicene nanoribbon by applying an inhomogeneous electric field. The spin degeneracy of these channels can also be broken in the same manner, allowing conduction of spin as well as charge. On this basis, we suggest design of a ternary logic device, which could be used in low-power circuits. Our study demonstrates that silicene and related group IV elements with honeycomb structure could provide a platform for efficient manipulation of spin currents via external electric fields, without the need to switch magnetic fields for spintronics applications.

Inter-Layer Coupling Induced Valence Band Edge Shift in Mono- to Few-Layer MoS 2

Recent progress in the synthesis of monolayer MoS2, a two-dimensional direct band-gap semiconductor, is paving new pathways toward atomically thin electronics. Despite the large amount of literature, fundamental gaps remain in understanding electronic properties at the nanoscale. Here, we report a study of highly crystalline islands of MoS2 grown via a refined chemical vapor deposition synthesis technique. Using high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS), photoemission electron microscopy/spectroscopy (PEEM) and μ-ARPES we investigate the electronic properties of MoS2 as a function of the number of layers at the nanoscale and show in-depth how the band gap is affected by a shift of the valence band edge as a function of the layer number. Green’s function based electronic structure calculations were carried out in order to shed light on the mechanism underlying the observed bandgap reduction with increasing thickness, and the role of the interfacial Sulphur atoms is clarified. Our study, which gives new insight into the variation of electronic properties of MoS2 films with thickness bears directly on junction properties of MoS2, and thus impacts electronics application of MoS2.

Ways to Measure Spatial Presence: Review and Future Directions

The chapter focuses on the measurement of spatial presence. Our aim is review existing measures of spatial presence and provide evaluative classifications of the quality and appropriateness of these measurement methods. In addition to existing methods, we also shortly discuss the appropriateness of measures that have not been extensively used so far, such as “think aloud”-method, dual-task measures, eye-related measures and psychophysiological measures.