Cognitive-bias-induced differences in the perceived video quality of rugged and conventional smartphones

In the global smartphone market, several smaller segments exist, servicing the specific needs of their target audience, incorporating various special features into newer models. One such segment is the rugged smartphone market, which is growing rapidly and is expected to continue its growth because of the benefits of this kind of device. Rugged phones tend to be waterproof, shockproof and more durable in general, and they also have a longer battery life. All of these are attractive features for the vast majority of users. The latest releases of such smartphones are actually starting to compete with their conventional counterparts in imaging capabilities, as well as display resolution. As the manufacturers release new models, they inevitably promote qualities that reflect excellence in terms of ruggedness. However, such promotion may, in fact, lead to preconceptions regarding other features. In essence, some may think that if a smartphone is durable, then it must mean that it evidently has an inferior camera system and display. In this paper, the effect of such cognitive bias is investigated. The paper presents three series of subjective tests, studying how preconception-induced cognitive bias alters the perceived video quality of rugged smartphones. In the first experiment, we compare the video recording and visualization capabilities of a rugged smartphone to conventional smartphones. However, in order to examine the impact of cognitive bias, the same videos are shown on all devices. In the second experiment, as a means of narrowing down quality assessment to the cameras of the smartphones, the videos are shown on a computer. Similarly to the first experiment, all videos were recorded by the same rugged smartphone; however, prior to each visual stimulus, the videos were presented as having been captured by the different devices. The third experiment follows the methodology of the second one, but it is carried out on a smartphone with a screen size smaller than that of the rugged and the conventional smartphones in the first experiment, in order to consider the influence of screen size. Additionally, a ground truth test without the induction of cognitive bias is performed to serve as a base for distortion impact comparison, and the source contents are validated by a separate subjective test.