1. Methods
For understanding people ’s emotions
with mobile applications
Isomursu , M., Tahti, M., Vainamo, S. & Kuutti, K. (2007).
Experimental evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions
in field settings with mobile applications. International journal
of Human-Computer Studies, 65 (2007), pg. 404-418.
Presented by: Debaleena Chattopadhyay
Fall, 2012

4. “There’s an app for that.”
Reference: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/app-for-that/

5. Evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in
field settings with mobile applications
Five self-report methods:
1. Self-assessment manikin (SAM )
(Lang, 1980)
2. Emocards
(Desmet et al., 2001)
3. Expressing Experiences and Emotions (3E)
(Tahti and Arhippainen, 2004)
4. Mobile Feedback Application
(Arhippainen at al., 2004)
5. Experience Clip
(Isomursu et al.,2004)

6. Evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in
field settings with mobile applications
Human emotions
• Affect (emotional or cognitive impact) is
an essential component of user
experience.
• Affect is an experiential property.
• Information about the affect aroused by
applications makes a basis for design
decisions or formal properties.
• Understanding the difference: Emotions
as responses to design products Vs.
Emotions as part of interaction.
Hence the need to understand the user and the context in a
broad sense.

7. Evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in
field settings with mobile applications
Naturalistic Field Settings
• Location– Oulu, Finland
• Time frame – 2001-2005
• Number of field experiments – Nine.
• Mobile applications used in field tests (4):
– CAPNET: Context sensitive office application. (Users  Technical and non-
technical professionals)
– SmartRotuarri (or Rotuarri): Context sensitive information services within a
city setting. (Users  Locals and Tourists on city center streets)
– Adamos Menu: Location sensitive service menu for smartphones. (Users 
IT professionals)
– SmartLibrary: Map-based book location service in a library setting. (Users
 Students visiting the library)

8. Why capturing emotions is not trivial?
• Settings need to be realistic to allow
users to experience emotions.
• Experiences are subjective and hard
to record. Even difficult to verbalize.
• User experience is dynamic and need
to be captured long-term.
• Finally, emotions need to be
correctly interpreted.

9. The Analysis Framework
(For mobile applications)
To capture emotions which users would experience
in normal use, we ideally need:
‘Real’ users Real-life usage
scenarios
No add-on physical
instrument for the
user Un-restricted
physical context
Absence of the
researcher

10. The Analysis Rubric for Methods
User’s viewpoint Designer’s viewpoint
• Fit • Input for design
• Usability
• User experience • Interpretation
• Disturbance • Validity

11. 1. Self-assessment manikin (SAM)
Pleasure -
displeasure
• Series of pictures or
puppets
Degree of arousal
• paper-and-pencil
Dominance-
• Captures emotions submissiveness
in more than one
dimension

12. Self-assessment manikin (SAM)
(contd..)
Positive Negative
• Easy to use • Scales sometimes difficult to
• Simple equipment interpret for subjects
requirements • Requires additional data
• Results in numerical form collection if explanations
• Easy to analyze are sought
• Information from • Difficult to perform during
pleasure, arousal and use.
dominance

13. 2. Emocards
• 16 cartoon faces female
Excited Neutral
male
• Recognizable facial
expressions
• paper-and-pencil
• Static facial cues to Calm pleasant
express emotions female male

14. Emocards (contd..)
Positive Negative
• Easy to use • No dynamic experience captured
• Simple equipment requirements • Difficult to interpret for subjects
• Results in numerical form • Requires additional data
• Easy to analyze collection if explanations are
sought
• Difficult to perform during use.
• Requires the user to summarize
his/her emotions into one
selection

15. 3. Expressing Experiences and Emotions
(3E)
• Structured and
unstructured language for
expressing emotions.
• Direct representation of
emotional status of the
user.
• Paper format diary to What the What the
collect data. user wants user is
to say? thinking?

16. Expressing Experiences and Emotions
(contd..)
Positive Negative
• Easy to use • Analyzing is challenging
• Simple equipment requirements • Does not address the dynamic
• Free formatted pictures give side of the experience
freedom of expression to users • Difficult to perform during
• Combines written and visual use, more suitable for capturing
expression emotions before and after use
• Reveals emotions and their • Some people do not like to draw
explanations

17. 4. Mobile Feedback Application
• Context-aware experience
sampling tool.
• Captures experiences
invoked by dynamic
interactions.
• No time lapse between
experienced emotion and
data collection.

18. Mobile Feedback Application (contd..)
Positive Negative
• Easy to use • Requires a feedback application
• Data collection is integrated to which preferably runs on the
same device as the application same platform as the evaluated
under evaluation application
• Results are in numerical form • Questions need to be carefully
• Easy to analyze planned beforehand
• Questions need to be brief
• Clarifications for the answers
cannot be asked

19. Experience Clip
• Two pairs of volunteers shooting
each other’s interactions.
• Provides data about dynamic
interactions.
• Emphasizes sharing experiences
and related emotions.
• Captures co-experience.

20. Experience Clip (contd..)
Positive Negative
• Easy to use • Requires special equipment (video
• Emotion expressions can be collected capable mobile phone)
during use • Not suitable for long testing periods
• Provides expressions of emotions in • Interpreting emotions is challenging
verbal form as well as with physical • Users may choose not to record all
cues kinds of usage situations
• Provides information about context • External environmental conditions may
• Users were eager and comfortable to have big impact on the quality of
use video.
• Requires small groups of users (at least
two)

21. Method Selection Framework
Type of data sought Resources Test Situation Users

22. Conclusion
• There is still controversy on how human emotions can be
presented or described.
• However, we can still use the incomplete and controversial
information in choosing the best-suited methods to inform
designers about experiential properties.
• While there is always a trade-off between how much data
to collect and how difficult it is interpret, while collecting
emotions with mobile users, several variations can be used.
• Often , use of more than one method proves to be a better
data collection strategy.

23. Thank you
Questions?