Drivers’ willingness to use vehicle automation depends on their evaluation of its instrumental and non-instrumental properties. Instrumental properties refer to the usability, utility, etc., of the automation. Non-instrumental properties include emotions, visual aesthetics, etc. This paper presents a study in which we investigated whether drivers’ use of vehicle automation in real traffic changes their evaluation of the automation’s non-/instrumental properties. In a field study, thirty-eight participants completed a one-hour drive including rural roads and highways. Their user experience evaluations concerning vehicle automation were assessed before and after the drive. The results revealed that driver ratings of the instrumental qualities of the vehicle were higher after using it in real traffic compared to their expectations. No effects were found for non-instrumental qualities. However, driver ratings of usability, status, and positive emotions constantly predicted their intention to use the automated vehicle. Implications for automation design are discussed.

The aim of the current study is to investigate predictors and consequences of driver-initiated take-overs during automated evasion maneuvers. Literature on control transitions in automated driving has mainly focused on system-initiated take-overs. However, drivers may also initiate take-overs without take-over requests. To date, such driver-initiated take-overs have rarely been investigated. Our study addresses this research gap. In a driving simulator study with 61 participants, we investigated whether the criticality of highly dynamic evasion maneuvers and trust in automation affect the probability of driver-initiated take-overs. Criticality was manipulated via time headway (THW) and traction usage (TU). Trust was varied by manipulating automation reliability before the experimental trials. Consequences of driver-initiated take-overs in terms of collisions and lane departures were assessed. The results indicate that THW, TU, and trust affect the probability of driver-initiated take-overs. Moreover, the time it takes the automation to respond to an obstacle ahead by starting an evasion maneuver may be another relevant factor in predicting take-overs. After a take-over, drivers produced a number of unnecessary lane departures and collisions. These were independent of THW and TU. The study demonstrates that drivers are more likely to take over vehicle control during automated evasion maneuvers without take-over requests when criticality increases and trust in automation decreases. Such take-overs may be hazardous for traffic safety. Our findings help to design automated vehicles that avoid unnecessary take-overs in critical driving situations or de-escalate their consequences effectively, thus increasing traffic safety.

Research has shown that drivers are willing to use vehicle automation. However, automated systems can only be beneficial if they are accepted, trusted and used appropriately by the driver. Therefore, the present study investigates drivers' willingness to use vehicle automation as a function of driving situation characteristics and driver personality in an on-road experiment. Firstly, the study investigates whether drivers are more or less likely to use vehicle automation depending on the type of road (rural road or motorway). It will also test whether the type of road affects the driver's in-situ assessment of the automation (e.g., criticality and mental load). Secondly, it examines whether driver personality (Big Five and affinity for technology) is related to the rate of handover, and whether drivers' in-situ assessment of vehicle automation is correlated with the rate of handover.Thirty-eight participants completed a one-hour drive with six measurement intervals and a length of 24 km in the north of Berlin. In general, the results showed that a combined handover of lateral and longitudinal automation was used most frequently, regardless of the type of road. More specifically, the type of road influenced the drivers' handover behavior. Handovers to lateral and longitudinal automation were more likely on motorways than on rural roads. The type of road also influenced in-situ ratings of automation trust, usefulness and appropriateness. Drivers' personality was found to have a significant influence on their handover behavior. Lower neuroticism scores and higher affinity for technology were associated with higher proportions of handovers. The results also show that in-situ ratings correlate with usage behavior. Critical ratings were negatively related to handovers, whereas trust, appropriateness and usefulness were positively related to handovers.Based on the results, we conclude that drivers will use automated driving functions when they have the opportunity to do so. Their usage behavior is influenced by the type of road, their assessment of the situation and aspects of their personality. The study serves as a starting point for future studies, such as naturalistic driving studies. The results also help in the design of vehicle automation and increase the understanding of drivers' use of vehicle automation.

Transitions of vehicle control between automated vehicle and driver remain a necessity in the near future. Most research focuses on system-initiated transitions of control. However, drivers may also actively decide to take over without being prompted by the automation. The present study aims to uncover predictors of such driver-initiated take-overs in automated driving and to examine their impact on traffic safety. We conducted two driving simulator studies with a total of 100 participants examining whether trust in automation and the criticality of the driving situation predict driver-initiated take-overs during highly dynamic braking maneuvers. Trust was varied via automation reliability in a prior induction phase, while criticality was manipulated via different levels of time headway (THW) and traction usage (TU). Potential limitations of study 1 concerning trust induction and predictor operationalization were addressed and eliminated in study 2. Results of both studies show that drivers' trust in automation and THW affected the probability of driver-initiated take-overs. TU affected take-over probability only in interaction with THW and trust. Moreover, TU was associated with rear-end collisions. Our experiments demonstrate that driver-initiated take-overs in automated driving do occur and that drivers' subsequent behavior may impair traffic safety. A better understanding of driver-initiated take-overs helps to increase the safety potential of automated vehicles, e.g., by designing assistance systems which will support drivers who initiate a take-over under critical, highly dynamic conditions.

According to legislation, take-overs initiated by the driver must always be possible during automated driving. For example, when drivers mistrust the automation to handle a critical and hazardous lane change, they might intervene and take over control while the automation is performing the maneuver. In these situations, drivers may have little time to avoid an accident and can be exposed to high lateral forces. Due to lacking research, it is yet unknown if they recognize the criticality of the situation and how they behave and perform to manage it. In a driving simulator study, participants (N = 60) accomplished eight double lane changes to evade obstacles in their lane. Time-to-collision and traction usage were varied to establish different degrees of objective criticality. To manipulate these parameters as required, participants were triggered to take over control by an acoustic cue. This setting shows what might happen if drivers disable the automation and complete the maneuver themselves. The results of the experiment demonstrate that drivers rated objectively more critical driving situations as more critical and responded to the hazard very fast over all experimental conditions. However, their behavior was more extreme with respect to decelerating and steering than necessary. This impaired driving performance and increased the risk of lane departures and collisions. The results of the experiment can be used to develop an assistance system that supports driver-initiated take-overs.

This article published in the journal Gruppe Interaktion Organisation (GIO) presents the development and validation of a questionnaire to determine the agile maturity level of a software company based on the assessment of its employees. Agility has become a major issue for many companies, especially in the software field. The reasons for this can be found in the high volatility of the markets, the worldwide progressing digitalization, the global networking of value chains and the pressure to shorten innovation cycles. These developments can no longer be accommodated by conventional cascading development methods, so that they are increasingly replaced by agile approaches. Agile procedures make it possible to process complex requirements and to react flexibly to changes. Despite their advantages, the implementation of agile principles confronts many companies with major challenges. Decisive for the success of agility is not only the introduction of certain methods and techniques, but especially their perception and subjective evaluation by the employees. In order to capture subjective views and judgments, this article presents a questionnaire that can be filled in by employees and that represents the internally perceived level of agile maturity of the company. Since it can be used across departments and hierarchy levels, it provides a differentiated picture of shared values but also of differences in the workforce. Based on this picture, measures can be designed that further advance the agility of the company. The requirements for the questionnaire were derived from publications on agile maturity models and the Agile Manifesto. Based on this, an item pool of initially 128 items was generated. After interviews with six experts, this pool was reduced to 53 items. In an online survey, these 53 items were answered by 200 people on a 7-point Likert scale. A Principal Component Analysis with Varimax rotation resulted in a five-dimensional version with 26 items that can be used for an internal assessment of the degree of agile maturity. Future work will focus on further optimizing the instrument.

Como tienen que estar disenados los dispositivos tecnologicos para que los entendamos facilmente y nos divierta emplearlos?

A study by Sackett et al. (2010) indicates that participants attribute more fun to an activity when they have the impression that time flies by. We investigate if this effect also occurs in human-computer interaction and impacts on User Experience (UX). We induced differences in the subjective passage of time by dividing the participants (n = 61) into three groups. Although all participants performed the same tasks for 10 min, the groups received different information about the duration of their activities (10, 20, or 5 min). This manipulation should invoke the impression that time passed normally, fast or slowly. Results showed that only a feeling of time passing by slowly could be induced. This temporal illusion led to a lower perceived usability and a lower overall UX while attractiveness and valence were not affected. We conclude that the investigation of subjectively experienced time improves the understanding of UX.

Zusammenfassung In diesem Beitrag der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) wird die Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens zur Ermittlung des agilen Reifegrads eines Softwareunternehmens auf Basis der Einschätzung seiner Mitarbeitenden vorgestellt. Agilität ist mittlerweile ein zentrales Thema für viele Firmen, insbesondere in der Softwarebranche. Die Gründe hierfür liegen in der hohen Volatilität der Märkte, der weltweit fortschreitenden Digitalisierung, der globalen Vernetzung der Wertschöpfungsketten und dem Zwang zu kürzeren Innovationszyklen. Dieser Entwicklung kann man mit den herkömmlichen, kaskadierenden Entwicklungsmethoden nicht mehr Rechnung tragen, so dass sie zunehmend durch agile Ansätze abgelöst werden. Agile Vorgehensweisen ermöglichen es, komplexe Anforderungen zu bearbeiten und flexibel auf Veränderungen zu reagieren. Trotz ihrer Vorteile stellt die Umsetzung agiler Prinzipien viele Unternehmen allerdings vor große Herausforderungen. Entscheidend für den Erfolg von Agilität ist nicht nur die Einführung bestimmter Methoden und Techniken, sondern insbesondere auch deren Wahrnehmung und subjektive Bewertung durch die Mitarbeitenden. Um subjektive Sichtweisen und Urteile erfassen zu können, ein Fragebogen vorgestellt, der von Mitarbeitenden ausgefüllt werden kann und der den intern wahrgenommenen agilen Reifegrad des Unternehmens repräsentiert. Da er über Abteilungen und Hierarchieebenen hinweg einsetzbar ist, liefert er ein differenziertes Bild zu geteilten Werten aber auch zu Unterschieden in der Belegschaft. Hiervon ausgehend lassen sich Maßnahmen konzipieren, die die Agilisierung des Unternehmens weiter vorantreiben. Die Anforderungen an den Fragebogen wurden aus Publikationen zu agilen Reifegradmodellen und dem Agilen Manifest abgeleitet. Darauf aufbauend wurde ein Itempool von zunächst 128 Items generiert. Nach Interviews mit sechs Fachexpert*innen wurde dieser Pool auf 53 Items reduziert. Im Rahmen einer Online-Umfrage sind diese 53 Items auf einer jeweils 7‑stufigen Likert-Skala durch 200 Personen beantwortet worden. Durch eine Hauptkomponentenanalyse mit Varimax-Rotation ist eine fünfdimensionale Variante mit 26 Items entstanden, die für eine interne Einschätzung des agilen Reifegrades verwendet werden kann. Zukünftige Arbeiten gelten der weiteren Optimierung des Instruments.

Display clutter is a widely studied phenomenon in ergonomics, where information density and other properties of task-relevant visualizations are related to effective user performance and visual attention. This paper examines the impact of clutter in the context of financial stock visualizations. Depending on their expertise, traders can use a variety of different cues to judge the current and future value of a stock and to assess its riskiness. In our study, two groups of participants (novices and experts) judge the riskiness of 28 pairs of stocks under two clutter conditions (low and high). Consistency of judgments and group concordance serve as measures for judgment performance, while mean fixation duration, fixation frequency, and transition matrix density are employed to capture visual attention. Our results reveal significant effects of display clutter and expertise on both the performance measures as well as the visual attention measures.

Five requirements can be considered as basic for a standardized and lean measurement of user experience (UX): Comprehensiveness of the assessment, efficiency of execution, intelligibility of items and scales, psychometric quality as well as adaptability to different research contexts and types of applications. meCUE is a questionnaire in German and English that was developed to meet these requirements. It is theoretically based on the CUE model (Components of User Experience) and consists of 34 items which cover the components of the model and their sub-constructs: product perceptions (usefulness, usability, visual aesthetics, status, commitment), user emotions (positive, negative), consequences of use (intention to use, product loyalty), and overall evaluation. Items are grouped into four modules which correspond to these components. The modules were separately validated in a series of studies and meCUE has been used in several surveys to assess UX. Insights from this practical use pointed out that items for instrumental product qualities (usefulness, usability) and those for non-instrumental qualities (visual aesthetics, status, commitment) should not be grouped together into the same module. The new version meCUE 2.0 fulfills this demand by splitting up the module for product perceptions into two sub-modules, one for instrumental and one for non-instrumental product qualities. To ensure that this structural change does not impair the psychometric quality of the questionnaire, two data sets were re-analyzed that had formerly been used to validate the German and English version. The results of the analyses confirm that the psychometric quality of both versions remains intact. Due to the modified structure of meCUE 2.0, investigators are no longer obliged to incorporate items for both, instrumental and non-instrumental product qualities into their studies. Hence, the new version of the questionnaire significantly increases efficiency and adaptability and offers more degrees of freedom for combining its modules.

User Experience (UX) has emerged as a comprehensive concept which provides a holistic perspective on users' interaction with technology. This concept can be characterized as a multidimensional phenomenon that comprises both, the perception of different product qualities as well as emotions that arise while using a product. The interrelations of these components are described in the 'Component Model of User Experience' (CUE model), which serves as the theoretical basis for our experiment. UX can be investigated in different phases of usage. In our experiment, we examined product perceptions and emotions in early phases and for short-time usage. Sixty participants employed different versions of mobile digital audio players which were systematically varied with respect to visual aesthetics and usability. Essential aspects of UX, i.e., perceptions of visual attractiveness and usability, as well as emotional responses were measured at three stages: Before interacting with the device, after an exploration (2 min) and after working with the system for a short time (15 min) to solve a given set of tasks. Data was analysed using a 2 x 2 x 3 mixed MANCOVA. The results of the experiment show that influences of visual aesthetics and of usability on quality perceptions as well as emotions change during these early stages. Moreover, evidence for two different halo effects was found: On the one hand, visual aesthetics influenced perceived usability in the beginning. On the other hand, the usability of the device impacted the perceived visual attractiveness and emotional responses at later stages. To account for these findings, we suggest to distinguish a hedonic halo effect from a pragmatic one. Based on the results for both effects, we propose that two mechanisms may be responsible for the effects during short-time usage, one of them being cognitive in nature, the other emotional. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The “right” design of graphical user interfaces (GUI) may help to provide positive user experience and to support users in dealing with the complexity of technological artifacts. We compared two design strategies for GUIs: skeuomorph and flat design. For this purpose, two interface versions of a smart phone operating system (flat and skeuomorph) were created. Since skeuomorph design uses metaphors from the non-digital world, we expected that it is preferred by elderly users (digital immigrants) compared to young users who might choose the modern flat design (digital natives). To test this assumption, we conducted a study (N = 24) with younger and elderly users by combining a standardized usability testing scenario, a user experience questionnaire (meCUE), and a half-standardized interview. Our results indicate that there is a significant difference between the two age groups. Elderly users showed a preference for skeuomorph design whereas the younger generation favored the flat design. Practical consequences and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed on the basis of the CUE model (Components of User Experience).

Motor relearning after stroke is a lengthy process which should be continued after patients get discharged from the clinic. This project aims at developing a system for telerehabilitation which enables stroke patients to exercise at home autonomously or under supervision of a therapist. The system includes haptic therapy devices which are more promising and beneficial for stroke rehabilitation than non-haptic approaches. In this paper, we present the results of two initial studies investigating specific design solutions for the patient's user interface. In the first study, we developed four interactive prototypes illustrating different navigation concepts. A usability test was conducted to identify the best suitable concept. In the second study we followed a participatory design approach to create a set of design solutions for a motivating instant visual feedback for exercising with the haptic devices. The current project status and next steps are described.

Robotic therapy devices have been an important part of clinical neurological rehabilitation for several years. Until now such devices are only available for patients receiving therapy inside rehabilitation hospitals. Since patients should continue rehabilitation training after hospital discharge at home, intelligent robotic rehab devices could help to achieve this goal. This paper presents therapeutic requirements and early phases of the user-centered design process of the patient’s work station as part of a novel robot-based system for motor telerehabilitation.

User experience has emerged as an extension of the traditional concept of usability providing a holistic perspective on the user’s interaction with technology. Recently, the experiential view of the user has become an essential part of the human-centered-design approach [18]. The concept of user experience can be characterized as a multidimensional phenomenon that comprises both, the perception of different product qualities as well as emotions that arise while a user interacts with a product. The interrelations of these components are described in the ‘Component Model of User Experience’ (CUE-Model [30]) which serves as the theoretical basis for our experiments. To examine user experience and its alterations over time, two laboratory experiments were conducted. In both studies, participants employed different versions of mobile digital players which were systematically varied with respect to their hedonic, non-instrumental qualities, i.e. visual aesthetics, and their instrumental qualities, i.e. the inherent usability. Essential aspects of user experience, i.e. judgments of visual attractiveness and usability, and emotional responses were measured repetitively at different stages of usage. The analyses show that influences of visual aesthetics and of inherent usability on quality judgments and emotions change over time. Moreover, evidence for two halo-effects was also found: On the one hand, visual aesthetics influenced perceived usability according to the notion “beautiful is usable” by Tractinsky et al. [31], on the other hand, the inherent usability of the systems impacted the perceived aesthetics and emotional responses. While we labelled the first one as ‘hedonic halo-effect’, we called the latter one ‘pragmatic halo-effect’. Based on our results, we propose substantial changes of the CUE-Model and draw conclusions for future research. Dynamics of User Experience 3

Based on the Component model of User Experience (CUE), a standardized questionnaire (meCUE) was developed measuring key aspects of user experience (UX) for interactive products. The questionnaire consists of 34 items and covers four components: product perceptions (usefulness, usability, visual aesthetics, status, commitment), user emotions (positive, negative), consequences of usage (intention to use, product loyalty), and overall judgment. The modules were separately validated in a series of studies. Therefore, meCUE can be easily adapted to specific research goals by simply choosing those modules which are required. The original German questionnaire was translated into an English version that was validated in an online study. Fifty-eight native English speakers assessed a wide variety of interactive products, such as cell phones, digital cameras, PCs, laptops, tablets, software and mobile applications. Results show that the English version reliably assesses the key components of UX and that the internal consistency of its scales is high.

Nowadays, a satisfying user experience is the goal of any user-centered design activity and the key to success for any technical device. User experience (UX) is a holistic concept that emphasizes the importance of subjective appraisals, feelings and motivational tendencies before, during and after interacting with a technical product. It includes numerous aspects, such as usability, aesthetics, social communication of personal values, emotional stimulation and motivational support for using and reusing the product. Based on a comprehensive framework of UX, the Components model of User Experience (CUE) by Thüring and Mahlke (Int J Psychol 42:253–264, 2007, [1]), a new questionnaire for a standardized measurement of UX was developed, the meCUE questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of four separately validated modules which refer to instrumental and non-instrumental product perceptions, user emotions, consequences of usage, and an overall judgment of attractiveness. The construction of the questionnaire was based on two online data collections, in which n = 238 subjects participated respectively. Two laboratory experiments and a further online survey were conducted for determining the reliability and the validity of the questionnaire. Results support the assumption that both, the internal consistency of the constructed scales as well as their discriminative, criterion-related and construct validity are highly acceptable. Therefore, meCUE is a valuable and economic instrument for measuring key aspects of UX providing a promising alternative to existing questionnaires.