Affordance and Affect in Promotional Websites

Guidelines for e-commerce website design deal well with the more objective aspects of page design, but have less to say about overall site structure and users' emotional responses. In this study we used a semiotic approach to investigate how several fashion websites provide affordances for navigation and produce affective responses. We gained some interesting insights into how users interpret these websites and more importantly, we developed a method which could be usefule in evaluating website design

Interactive persuasive learning elements among elderly: A measurement model

The increasing usage of computer technology in myriad fields involves almost all level of the society to interact with the technology. Although the receptions are going well, however, for certain level of ages in the society, the need seems to be difficult to them.Of the level, elderly is a must to be considered for designing and developing computer technology systems that suit them better.Hence, our study proposes a conceptual model of an interactive persuasive learning system to encourage the elderly to use a computer application for learning.This paper is part of our study that evaluates a measurement model of interactive elements of persuasive learning among elderly.This study used empirical study as a method for data collection. Data was collected from 300 elderly respondents and each respondent was supplied with a laptop to enable him/her to use the interactive course ware.The data was analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS).The results have shown that the measurement model fits the data.Therefore, the model is suitable for interactive media among elderly. Further, this study intends to identify the relationship between the interactive media features and persuasive learning elements among elderly

A conceptual model of interactive persuasive learning system for elderly to encourage computer-based learning process

Over the past few years, new and improved learning techniques and technologies have been introduced.Among them, interactive media holds a lot of potential in learning.This technology highly promotes self-directed and active learning approaches and has capabilities to foster the learning process. Furthermore, the emergence of persuasive technology increased the capability of the media features to be used in learning field within variety of ways. Persuasive technology is the attempts of several researchers and its founder to proof the power of persuasion through the computer technology in changing peoples’ behavior and attitude.Even though previous studies have highlighted the various features of interactive media contribute to learning, our preliminary study indicated that most of elderly prefers conventional learning approach over computer approach.It is evident that elderly choose the use of computer applications as their last resort in learning.In order to highlight an interactive media system with persuasion elements, this study attempt to propose a conceptual model of interactive persuasive learning system for elderly that can be used in encouraging them to learn using computer-based learning tools. Thus this paper reviews the introduction of persuasive technology and interactive media. Then, we propose the conceptual model of interactive persuasive learning system for elderly that can be used in encouraging them to learn using computer-based learning tools. The proposed model will be helpful in designing and developing interactive media systems that can encourage and engage a learning process among elderly

Factores de diseño web orientado a la satisfacción y no-frustración de uso

In this paper we aim to investigate the use of web sites. We add an explanatory model from the perspective of design impact in the end-user satisfaction. In this model we identify seven main design factors: functionality, accessibility, findability, usefulness, aesthetics, credibility and usability. They have been categorized as hygienic or motivator according to their orientation towards the prevention of the frustration of use or the satisfaction of use they cause. The usability is the more important of those factors because it has a transversal function in the model: the usability interrelates the rest of design factors. We discuss the importance of each factor in the user experience, depending on the interactive context, and also the utility of analysing satisfaction from both hygienic-motivator dimensions

Factores del diseño web orientado a la satisfacción y no-frustración de uso

In this paper we aim to investigate the use of web sites. We add an explanatory model from the perspective of design impact in the end-user satisfaction. In this model we identify seven main design factors: functionality, accessibility, findability, usefulness, aesthetics, credibility and usability. They have been categorized as hygienic or motivator according to their orientation towards the prevention of the frustration of use or the satisfaction of use they cause. The usability is the more important of those factors because it has a transversal function in the model: the usability interrelates the rest of design factors. We discuss the importance of each factor in the user experience, depending on the interactive context, and also the utility of analysing satisfaction from both hygienic-motivator dimensions.El presente trabajo se propone indagar en el fenómeno de uso de sitios web, aportando un modelo explicativo desde la perspectiva del impacto del diseño en la satisfacción-frustración del usuario final. En el modelo se identifican siete factores principales de diseño –funcionalidad, accesibilidad, findability, utilidad, estética, credibilidad y usabilidad– clasificados como higiénicos o motivadores, según estén orientados a impedir la frustración de uso o a provocar satisfacción de uso respectivamente. De estos factores, la usabilidad cobra especial importancia por su función vertebral del modelo, interrelacionando el resto de factores de diseño. Se discute el peso de cada factor en la experiencia del usuario dependiendo del contexto interactivo, así como la utilidad del análisis de la satisfacción desde su doble dimensión higiénico-motivadora

Fl reading strategies for metaphor and word game interpretation in a non-specialized magazine: a case study

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras/Inglês e Literatura Correspondente.O objetivo deste estudo é contribuir para a discussão sobre compreensão metafórica e investigar as estratégias usadas por leitores em língua estrangeira quando lêem linguagem metafórica em títulos de artigos genuínos de revistas na língua inglesa. Pesquisas na área de leitura focalizaram no conhecimento prévio que o leitor traz para o texto como sendo crucial para o processamento da informação (Afflerbach, 1990; Daneman, 1991; Fincher-Kiefer, Post, Greene & Voss, 1988; Just & Carpenter, 1987; Pritchard, 1990; Spiro & Myers, 1984). Outros teóricos focalizaram na formação da metáfora (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) e, mais recentemente, em como os leitores realmente processam metáforas (Steen, 1994; Vieira, 1999c). Este estudo se baseia na premissa de que leitores em língua estrangeira têm dificuldades em compreender jogos de palavras nos títulos de textos, o que por sua vez tem implicações na compreensão do texto que se segue. Desta forma, este estudo mostra as estratégias utilizadas por estes leitores de forma a compreender metáforas em títulos. Um enfoque qualitativo, etnográfico de estudo de caso foi utilizado, através do uso de métodos de triangulação. Os resultados mostraram que a metáfora não é nem acessada automaticamente nem possui um único significado. Os leitores têm dificuldade em observar significados metafóricos em títulos possivelmente devido a três variáveis principais: nível de proficiência dos leitores; diferenças culturais entre produtores e receptores de metáforas; e crenças dos leitores sobre o papel do especialista e do leitor na co-construção de significado. Os resultados indicam a necessidade de se incorporar, na sala de aula em língua estrangeira, estudos de gênero e conscientização da existência de metáforas

Motivating sustainable goal choices and providing effective feedback

Overconsumption of natural resources and the associated environmental hazards are one of today’s most pressing global issues. In the western world, individual consumption in homes and workplaces is a key contributor to this problem. Reflecting the importance of individual action in this domain, this thesis focuses on studying and influencing choices related to sustainability and energy consumption made by people in their daily lives. There are three main components to this work. Firstly, this thesis asserts that people frequently make ineffective consumption reduction goal choices and attempts to understand the rationale for these poor choices by fitting them to goalsetting theory, an established theoretical model of behavior change. Secondly, it presents two approaches that attempt to influence goal choice towards more effective targets, one of which deals with mechanisms for goal priming and the other of which explores the idea that carefully designed toys can exert influence on children’s long term consumption behavior patterns. The final section of this thesis deals with the design of feedback to support the performance of environmentally sound activities. Key contributions surrounding goals include the finding that people choose easy sustainable goals despite immediate feedback as to their ineffectiveness and the discussion and study of goal priming mechanisms that can influence this choice process. Contributions within the design of value instilling toys include a theoretically grounded framework for the design of such toys and a completed and tested prototype toy. Finally, contributions in designing effective and engaging energy consumption feedback include the finding that negative feedback is best presented verbally compared with visually and this is exemplified and presented within a working feedback system. The discussions, concepts, prototypes and empirical findings presented in this work will be useful for both environmental psychologists and for HCI researchers studying eco-feedback

A Review of Resonant Converter Control Techniques and The Performances

paper first discusses each control technique and then gives experimental results and/or performance to highlights their merits. The resonant converter used as a case study is not specified to just single topology instead it used few topologies such as series-parallel resonant converter (SPRC), LCC resonant converter and parallel resonant converter (PRC). On the other hand, the control techniques presented in this paper are self-sustained phase shift modulation (SSPSM) control, self-oscillating power factor control, magnetic control and the H-∞ robust control technique