Physiology as a Tool for UX and Usability Testing – A comparative study of pupil size and other physiological measures.
Malin Forne · 2012
Physiology as a Tool for UX and Usability TestingDegree Project by Malin Forne, 2012The purpose of this degree project was to investigate how physiological measures, such as heart rate, skin conductance and EEG (i.e. electrical brain activity), may be useful in UX and usability testing. One physiological research method is discussed in more detail, i.e. the measurement of pupil size, or pupillometry. The study seeks to answer the following questions: * What can we find out about human emotions and cognition by measuring and analyzing variations in pupil size? * What can we find out about human emotions and cognition by using other popular physiological measurement methods? * How does pupillometry compare to other physiological measures for the purpose of UX and usability testing?In order to answer these questions, an extensive literature review was carried out. In addition, a minor pupillometric study was carried out, in order to practically investigate the potential of pupil size as a tool for UX and usability testing. The study concludes that although it is not possible to measure the thoughts and emotions experienced during a usability test, physiological measurement may help identify significant episodes of human-computer interaction, such as instances of elevated emotion, frustration or intense cognitive effort. It was found that a large number of physiological signals could be useful for this purpose, and that all have their respective pros and cons. Ultimately, the choice of measure will depend on the context of study. The study also showed that there is never just one possible explanation to an observed physiological reaction. Therefore, physiological data should always be interpreted in relation to the context in which it was collected, as well as the subject's own account of the experience.