Measuring the subjective experience of digital game players is essential to player experience research. Recently, the Player Experience Inventory (PXI) was developed, which assesses both functional and psychosocial consequences of digital gameplay. We present a pre-registered independent online study with a large sample to provide additional evidence of psychometric quality for the PXI. Responses from 1518 participants were collected, rating a recent or memorable experience playing a digital game using the PXI and related measures. While our results from standard psychometric reliability and validity analyses generally favored the PXI, we also identified challenges with the immersion construct. Further, we find a ten-factor model, or alternatively, an 11-factor should enjoyment be measured, to fit our collected data best. In sum, the PXI is a valuable tool to measure a variety of constructs central to player experience.

Virtual reality (VR) applications are increasingly permeating our lives. The immersion provided by VR enables novel interactions with data that would be impossible in conventional environments. Especially regarding multimedia data, VR could overcome existing limitations when browsing videos to find specific scenes. This paper introduces a virtual multimedia drawer, tailored to VR environments, to enable novel ways to interact with videos. A within-subjects design experiment (N=24) was conducted to evaluate the multimedia drawer on user experience, efficiency, and effectiveness. Results show that the multimedia drawer, while taking slightly longer to locate a particular scene within a video for certain types of tasks (i.e., sequence tasks), provides statistically significantly higher levels of enjoyment, novelty, and stimulation and is preferred over conventional timeline-based approaches. Implications of quantitative and qualitative results regarding the design and features of the multimedia drawer as a video browsing method in VR are critically discussed.

Despite its importance, few validated scales exist to measure aesthetics in HCI. One notable exception, the Visual Aesthetics of Websites Inventory (VisAWI), has never been validated in English. Furthermore, the VisAWI contains negatively formulated items, which adversely impact the psychometric quality of survey scales. Consequently, this paper’s aim was the development of a positive-item version of the VisAWI, the VisAWI-pos, as a viable alternative to the original scale. Positive alternatives for the negative items of the VisAWI scale were developed and evaluated in a first study (N = 41). Afterward, a pre-registered second study (N = 966) was conducted to validate the VisAWI-pos. In addition, the VisAWI’s English version was formally validated for the first time. Results showed that the English VisAWI has comparable psychometric qualities to validated versions in other languages. Furthermore, the VisAWI-pos provided matching results to the original VisAWI while exhibiting equal or improved psychometric quality.

Benefits for all user groups is one of the most prominent motivations to provide accessible information and services on the web. Designing digital technologies in a more inclusive manner for users with sensory, motor, or cognitive impairments enhances their overall quality. In practice, work on web accessibility often relies on complying with standards. But whether standards lead to improved usability and a satisfying user experience for all user groups is controversial. The present study aims at deepening our understanding of how compliance with web accessibility standards shapes the experiences of both users with and without disabilities. In a randomised controlled experiment, 66 participants with visual impairments and 65 participants without visual impairments solved tasks on an online shop built with either low (NA) or high (AA) conformance to web accessibility standards. The results show no statistically significant effects on outcomes related to usability and user experience. However, analysis of open-ended answers suggests that participants with visual impairments reported more positive experiences, and participants without visual impairments fewer negative experiences while using the online shop conformant to web accessibility standards. We therefore recommend adopting a more differentiated perspective on what can be achieved through compliance with web accessibility standards and emphasise that conformance-based approaches should be complemented with user-centred and participatory design methods. Further, since most participants reported being experienced users and an online shop is often a familiar context, more research in other settings is required.

Computer technology is often designed in technology hubs in Western countries, invariably making it “WEIRD”, because it is based on the intuition, knowledge, and values of people who are Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. Developing technology that is universally useful and engaging requires knowledge about members of WEIRD and non-WEIRD societies alike. In other words, it requires us, the CHI community, to generate this knowledge by studying representative participant samples. To find out to what extent CHI participant samples are from Western societies, we analyzed papers published in the CHI proceedings between 2016-2020. Our findings show that 73% of CHI study findings are based on Western participant samples, representing less than 12% of the world’s population. Furthermore, we show that most participant samples at CHI tend to come from industrialized, rich, and democratic countries with generally highly educated populations. Encouragingly, recent years have seen a slight increase in non-Western samples and those that include several countries. We discuss suggestions for further broadening the international representation of CHI participant samples.

Measuring theoretical concepts, so-called constructs, is a central challenge of Player Experience research. Building on recent work in HCI and psychology, we conducted a systematic literature review to study the transparency of measurement reporting. We accessed the ACM Digital Library to analyze all 48 full papers published at CHI PLAY 2020, of those, 24 papers used self-report measurements and were included in the full review. We assessed specifically, whether researchers reported What, How and Why they measured. We found that researchers matched their measures to the construct under study and that administrative details, such as number of points on a Likert-type scale, were frequently reported. However, definitions of the constructs to be measured and justifications for selecting a particular scale were sparse. Lack of transparency in these areas threaten the validity of singular studies, but further compromise the building of theories and accumulation of research knowledge in meta-analytic work. This work is limited to only assessing the current transparency of measurement reporting at CHI PLAY 2020, however we argue this constitutes a fair foundation to assess potential pitfalls. To address these pitfalls, we propose a prescriptive model of a measurement selection process, which aids researchers to systematically define their constructs, specify operationalizations, and justify why these measures were chosen. Future research employing this model should contribute to more transparency in measurement reporting. The research was funded through internal resources. All materials are available on https://osf.io/4xz2v/.

Abstract Travellers with visual impairments may face substantial information gaps on their journeys by public transport. For instance, information displayed in trains, as well as on departure boards in train stations and on platforms, are often not available in acoustic or tactile form. Digital technologies, such as smartphones or smartwatches, can provide an alternative means of access. However, these alternatives do not guarantee that the user experience is comparable in value, quality and efficiency. The present case study details a participatory design process, where travellers with visual impairments co-designed a mobile app. The goal was to tackle information gaps on journeys by public transport and to learn how participatory design can facilitate the provision of comparable experiences for users with disabilities. Travellers with visual impairments were involved in a collaborative process in all project phases, including problem identification, technical feasibility, proof of concept, design and development. Participatory design contributed to a thorough understanding of the user perspective and allowed the app to be optimised for the needs of travellers with visual impairments. Furthermore, co-design proved to be an effective method for fostering awareness and knowledge about digital accessibility at all organisational levels.

Abstract Providing usable web information and services to as many people as possible confronts web professionals with a challenging task. The present study delivers insights about how Web accessibility is perceived in practice. Using a survey, a total of 163 web professionals in various roles reported their evaluation of Web accessibility implementation in their projects with regard to three aspects: the professional roles primarily responsible for Web accessibility, key phases in the development process, and the types of disabilities primarily considered. Results show that non-technical professional roles are perceived to be less involved in the development process, that Web accessibility considerations are mainly restricted to the design and implementation phases of projects, and that efforts focus predominantly on the needs of people with visual impairments.

Motivation is a fundamental concept in understanding people's experiences and behavior. Yet, motivation to engage with an interactive system has received only limited attention in HCI. We report the development and validation of the User Motivation Inventory (UMI). The UMI is an 18-item multidimensional measure of motivation, rooted in self-determination theory (SDT). It is designed to measure intrinsic motivation, integrated, identified, introjected, and external regulation, as well as amotivation. Results of two studies (total N = 941) confirm the six-factor structure of the UMI with high reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity of each subscale. Relationships with core concepts such as need satisfaction, vitality, and usability were studied. Additionally, the UMI was found to detect differences in motivation for people who consider abandoning a technology compared to those who do not question their use. The central role of motivation in users' behavior and experience is discussed.

Abstract Plain Language and Easy-to-Read Language are two approaches to reduce language complexity, which are also applied in the context of Web Accessibility. While Easy-to-Read Language was specifically designed to meet the needs of people with cognitive and learning disabilities, benefits for users with a variety of abilities have been reported. However, studies have also found unintended side-effects on non-disabled users, such as reduced text liking and intention to revisit a website compared to variants in conventional language. The present study addresses this issue by testing two approaches combining conventional with Easy-to-Read Language against a Plain Language variant, as well as a control group in conventional language. In an online study, 308 non-disabled participants read three texts presented in one of the four language variants. Measurements of performance indicators as well as subjective responses show that Easy-to-Read language may be implemented without unintended side-effects.

Appropriate challenges and challenge-skill balance are usually key to positive player experiences. However, some games such as the successful series Dark Souls are notorious for their excessive difficulty. Yet, there has been little empirical investigation of why players enjoy games they constantly struggle and fail with. We surveyed 95 participants right after the release of Dark Souls III about their experiences with the game, employing both open questions and different player experience measures. Players generally enjoyed challenging play sessions and mostly reported positive experiences, with achievement and learning moments strongly contributing to positive experiences. However, these factors themselves were enabled by negative events such as difficulties and avatar death. Our findings showcase that negative events bear a potential for forming positive and meaningful experiences, thus expanding previous knowledge about the role of challenge and failing in games. Moreover, the significance of hard-earned achievements extends present design conventions.