Unraveling the Hangry Rater: Non-linear Effects of Hunger on Multimedia Quality Perception.

The subjective quality of experience (QoE) in multimedia contexts is influenced by various factors, including individual differences among raters and experimental setups. While the latter has been extensively studied, the former remains relatively unexplored. This paper investigates the impact of hangriness - a mental state of irritability and frustration caused by hunger - on QoE ratings. In our analysis, hangriness appears to be prevalent in a specific time interval, where individuals have not consumed any food between five and eleven hours. Our analysis, comprising ratings from 100 participants, reveals a significant, non-linear effect of hangriness on QoE ratings, specifically for multimedia stimuli with subpar quality. Participants in the hangry state rated such stimuli significantly worse compared to those who had eaten recently or abstained from food for more than eleven hours. Interestingly, this effect was not observed for high-quality multimedia content. Our findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences, such as hangriness, in QoE research, as they can significantly impact subjective ratings. Further research is needed to corroborate these results and explore other factors that may influence QoE ratings. This work contributes to a better understanding of individual variability in multimedia quality perception and provides insights for designing more reliable QoE assessment methods.