Université de Fribourg

The Influence of Socio-Cultural Background and Product Value in Usability Testing

Sonderegger, Andreas ; Sauer, Juergen

In: Applied Ergonomics

This article examines the influence of socio-cultural background and product value on different outcomes of usability tests. A study was conducted in two different socio-cultural regions, Switzerland and East Germany, which differed in a number of aspects (e.g. economic power, price sensitivity and culture). Product value (high vs. low) was varied by manipulating the price of the product....

Université de Fribourg

Computer-supported work in partially distributed and co-located teams: the influence of mood feedback

Sonderegger, Andreas ; Lalanne, Denis ; Bergholz, Luisa ; Ringeval, Fabien ; Sauer, Juergen

This article examines the influence of mood feedback on different outcomes of teamwork in two different collaborative work environments. Employing a 2 x 2 between-subjects design, mood feedback (present vs. not present) and communication mode (face-to-face vs. video conferencing) were manipulated experimentally. We used a newly developed collaborative communication environment, called EmotiBoard,...

Université de Fribourg

The influence of design aesthetics and user state in usability testing

Sauer, Juergen ; Sonderegger, Andreas

In: Behaviour & Information Technology

An empirical study examined the effects of two influencing factors in usability tests on user performance and usability ratings. Aesthetics of design (high vs. low) as the main independent factor and prior usage event (positive vs. negative) as a subsidiary independent factor were varied in a between-participants design. 60 participants took part in the experiment, completing a number of typical...

Université de Fribourg

The Influence of Product Aesthetics and Usability over the Course of Time: A Longitudinal Field Experiment

Sonderegger, Andreas ; Zbinden, Gerold ; Uebelbacher, Andreas ; Sauer, Juergen

A longitudinal field experiment was carried out over a period of two weeks to examine the influence of product aesthetics and inherent product usability. A 2 x 2 x 3 mixed design was used in the study, with product aesthetics (high / low) and usability (high / low) being manipulated as between-subjects variables and exposure time as a repeated-measures variable (3 levels). A sample of 60 mobile...