MethodsFor understanding people ’s emotions

with mobile applications

Isomursu , M., Tahti, M., Vainamo, S. & Kuutti, K. (2007). Experimental evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in field settings with mobile applications. International journal of Human-Computer Studies, 65 (2007), pg. 404-418.

Presented by: Debaleena ChattopadhyayFall, 2012

“There’s an app for that.”

Reference: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/app-for-that/

Evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in field settings with mobile applications

Five self-report methods:

1. Self-assessment manikin (SAM )(Lang, 1980)

2. Emocards (Desmet et al., 2001)

3. Expressing Experiences and Emotions (3E) (Tahti and Arhippainen, 2004)

4. Mobile Feedback Application(Arhippainen at al., 2004)

5. Experience Clip (Isomursu et al.,2004)

Evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in field settings with mobile applications

Human emotions• Affect (emotional or cognitive impact) is

an essential component of user experience.

• Affect is an experiential property. • Information about the affect aroused by

applications makes a basis for design decisions or formal properties.

• Understanding the difference: Emotions as responses to design products Vs. Emotions as part of interaction.

Hence the need to understand the user and the context in a broad sense.

Evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in field settings with mobile applications

Naturalistic Field Settings

• Location– Oulu, Finland• Time frame – 2001-2005• Number of field experiments – Nine.• Mobile applications used in field tests (4):

– CAPNET: Context sensitive office application. (Users Technical and non-technical professionals)

– SmartRotuarri (or Rotuarri): Context sensitive information services within a city setting. (Users Locals and Tourists on city center streets)

– Adamos Menu: Location sensitive service menu for smartphones. (Users IT professionals)

– SmartLibrary: Map-based book location service in a library setting. (Users Students visiting the library)

Why capturing emotions is not trivial?

• Settings need to be realistic to allow users to experience emotions.

• Experiences are subjective and hard to record. Even difficult to verbalize.

• User experience is dynamic and need to be captured long-term.

• Finally, emotions need to be correctly interpreted.

The Analysis Framework(For mobile applications)

To capture emotions which users would experience in normal use, we ideally need:

‘Real’ users Real-life usage scenarios

Un-restricted physical context

No add-on physical instrument for the

user

Absence of the researcher

The Analysis Rubric for Methods

User’s viewpoint• Fit• Usability• User experience• Disturbance

Designer’s viewpoint

• Input for design

• Interpretation

• Validity

1. Self-assessment manikin (SAM)Pleasure - displeasure

Degree of arousal

Dominance- submissiveness

• Series of pictures or puppets

• paper-and-pencil

• Captures emotions in more than one dimension

Self-assessment manikin (SAM)(contd..)

Positive Negative• Easy to use• Simple equipment

requirements• Results in numerical form• Easy to analyze• Information from pleasure,

arousal and dominance

• Scales sometimes difficult to interpret for subjects

• Requires additional data collection if explanations are sought

• Difficult to perform during use.

2. Emocards

• 16 cartoon faces

• Recognizable facial expressions

• paper-and-pencil

• Static facial cues to express emotions

Excited Neutral

Calm pleasant

female male

female male

Emocards (contd..)

Positive Negative• Easy to use• Simple equipment requirements• Results in numerical form• Easy to analyze

• No dynamic experience captured• Difficult to interpret for subjects• Requires additional data collection

if explanations are sought• Difficult to perform during use.• Requires the user to summarize

his/her emotions into one selection

3. Expressing Experiences and Emotions (3E)

• Structured and unstructured language for expressing emotions.

• Direct representation of emotional status of the user.

• Paper format diary to collect data.

What the user wants to say?

What the user is thinking?

Expressing Experiences and Emotions (contd..)

Positive Negative• Easy to use• Simple equipment requirements• Free formatted pictures give

freedom of expression to users• Combines written and visual

expression• Reveals emotions and their

explanations

• Analyzing is challenging• Does not address the dynamic

side of the experience• Difficult to perform during use,

more suitable for capturing emotions before and after use

• Some people do not like to draw

4. Mobile Feedback Application

• Context-aware experience sampling tool.

• Captures experiences invoked by dynamic interactions.

• No time lapse between experienced emotion and data collection.

Mobile Feedback Application (contd..)

Positive Negative• Easy to use• Data collection is integrated to

same device as the application under evaluation

• Results are in numerical form• Easy to analyze

• Requires a feedback application which preferably runs on the same platform as the evaluated application

• Questions need to be carefully planned beforehand

• Questions need to be brief• Clarifications for the answers

cannot be asked

Experience Clip

• Two pairs of volunteers shooting each other’s interactions.

• Provides data about dynamic interactions.

• Emphasizes sharing experiences and related emotions.

• Captures co-experience.

Experience Clip (contd..)

Positive Negative• Easy to use• Emotion expressions can be collected

during use• Provides expressions of emotions in

verbal form as well as with physical cues

• Provides information about context• Users were eager and comfortable to

use

• Requires special equipment (video capable mobile phone)

• Not suitable for long testing periods• Interpreting emotions is challenging• Users may choose not to record all

kinds of usage situations• External environmental conditions may

have big impact on the quality of video.

• Requires small groups of users (at least two)

Method Selection FrameworkType of data sought Resources Test Situation Users

Conclusion

• There is still controversy on how human emotions can be presented or described.

• However, we can still use the incomplete and controversial information in choosing the best-suited methods to inform designers about experiential properties.

• While there is always a trade-off between how much data to collect and how difficult it is interpret, while collecting emotions with mobile users, several variations can be used.

• Often , use of more than one method proves to be a better data collection strategy.

Thank youQuestions?