Laddering with Young Children in User eXperience Evaluations: Theoretical Groundings and a

Practical Case Vero Vanden Abeele

e-Media Lab, GROUP T - Leuven Leuven, Belgium

Vero.Vanden.Abeele@groept.be

Bieke ZamanCUO/IBBT

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Bieke.Zaman@soc.kuleuven.be

SAM

example

WHY?

Immersion / Fantasy [V]

“it’s like I become the cuddle toy in the game” [C]

“It’s soft and cute” [A]

“I like the cuddle toy” [preference]

1

2

Testing these findings...|a case study|

|Introduction to the case|

|Research Questions|

• 1 consistent preference? • 2 full ladders A-C-V?• 3 Number of ladders? Number of elements?

|Method|

• 46 preschoolers • Average Age about 5– 2 to 7 years

• Gender: 19 girls and 27 boys • School

|Procedure|

1. Explorative game play x 3(counterbalancing)

2. Preference distinction (ranking)

3. Laddering interview4. Free play option

|Procedure|

• Example preference distinction via ranking

|Results|

1 Consistent preference?

• Yes! Consistent preferences between answers on preference distinction questions & free play option (Likelihood Ratios,, all p<0.01)

|Results|

2 Full ladders A-C-V?• No Values

- 9 (/46): preferences > [stop]- 19 (/46): preferences > attributes > [stop]- 24 (/46): preferences > attributes > conseq. > [stop]

• probing further = more external causesStarting to climb down the ladder again...

|Results|

• Example preferences > attributes > [stop]

|Results|

3 Number of elements - ladders?• Average= 1.72 ladder; 2.81 elements

• Mean age respondents not producing ladders+/- 3.5 years old

• Mean age respondents producing ladders+/- 5 years old

• The older they are, the higher the number of ladders and elements

Significant (all p<0.01) and positive correlations

|Discussion|

• Laddering in HCI– How many elements do you need?– Striving for values per se?– Asking for intentions rather than reflections

• Individual technique– Inviting pairs of children?

• Adult interviewer vs hand puppet?

|Conclusion|

Vero Vanden AbeeleVero.Vanden.Abeele@groept.be

Bieke ZamanBieke.Zaman@soc.kuleuven.be