User Experience Over Time - Modeling Users' Experiences with Interactive Systems - page 76

Ta b l e 4 . 5 Multiple Regression analysis with usefulness, ease-of-use, stimulation and iden-
tification as predictors and Beauty as predicted (β values and significances * p < .05, **
p < .001) for both satisfying and dissatisfying experiences.

Orientation Incorporation Identification

Usefulness
Ease-of-use
Stimulation .22* .27**

Identification .51** .47** .78**

Adjusted R 2

.47 .44 .59

(Lindgaard and Dudek, 2003). Confirming a priori expectations has been seen as the
major source of satisfaction both in HCI (Lindgaard and Dudek, 2003) and Informa-
tion Systems (Oliver, 1980) research. The comparison standards paradigm (Oliver,
1980), which dominates user satisfaction research, posits that individuals form sta-
ble expectations to which the actual product performance is compared, to derive
a satisfaction judgment. In this study, we saw a priori expectations to evolve in a
number of ways.
For 72% of a priori expectations, participants reported a change in their per-
ceived importance. 19% of participants' expectations exhibited a decrease in their
importance over time. Although these expectations were on average disconfirmed
(i.e., median=3 on a 7-point scale), they did not lead to dissatisfaction (median=5).
This was attributed to two major phenomena: transition from fantasy to reality ,and
post-purchase situational impact variations . First, participants reflected that these
expectations were unrealistically high, i.e., “[they] hoped for, but not expected” .As
a result, disconfirmation of these expectations was not attributed to the product as
a failure but rather to their own perceptions as a 'loss of illusion'. Second, as users
were incorporating the product in their routines, the design space was adapting. For
example, some participants became less concerned about the coverage of mobile
internet through the cell network as they found themselves having access to internet
mostly over WiFi networks, while others became less concerned about the ease with
which 3rd party applications are being installed as they found themselves satisfied
with the pre-installed ones.
53% of a priori expectations exhibited an increase in their importance over time.
The majority of these expectations (87%) were either confirmed or exceeded. The
major source of the increase in their perceived importance was participants' initial
inability to judge the impact of the expected feature in the long run. As participants
incorporated the feature in their daily lives, they were becoming more dependent on
it and its perceived importance was increasing. These expectations mostly related to
the use of mobile internet, mobile agenda, and to the effectiveness and efficiency of
the virtual keyboard.