It Sounds Cool: Exploring Sonification of Mid-Air Haptic Textures Exploration on Texture Judgments, Body Perception, and Motor Behaviour

Ultrasonic mid-air haptic technology allows for the perceptual rendering of textured surfaces onto the user's hand. Unlike real textured surfaces, however, mid-air haptic feedback lacks implicit multisensory cues needed to reliably infer a texture's attributes (e.g., its roughness). In this paper, we combined mid-air haptic textures with congruent sound feedback to investigate how sonification could influence people's (1) explicit judgment of the texture attributes, (2) explicit sensations of their own hand, and (3) implicit motor behavior during haptic exploration. Our results showed that audio cues (presented solely or combined with haptics) influenced participants' judgment of the texture attributes (roughness, hardness, moisture and viscosity), produced some hand sensations (the feeling of having a hand smoother, softer, looser, more flexible, colder, wetter and more natural), and changed participants' speed (moving faster or slower) while exploring the texture. We then conducted a principal component analysis to better understand and visualize the found results and conclude with a short discussion on how audio-haptic associations can be used to create embodied experiences in emerging application scenarios in the metaverse

EXPLORING THE CONSEQUENCES OF SHOPPER-FACING TECHNOLOGIES: THEIR EFFECT ON SHOPPER EXPERIENCES AND SHOPPING OUTCOMES

Just as technology has influenced nearly every facet of the modern consumer’s life, it is also significantly changing how those consumers shop and how it influences their purchase decisions. Understanding how technology impacts these shoppers within the retail environment is crucial for retail managers who are expected to deploy and manage these sources of continuous change. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the phenomenon of shoppers experiencing technology in the retail environment. Specifically, our primary goal is to understand how shopper-facing technologies impact shoppers’ experiences and behaviors and subsequently affect outcome variables that matter to retailers. To that end, this dissertation includes two studies, an ethnography and survey, each with specific objectives designed to illuminate an increasingly common, yet under-researched phenomenon. The first study is an ethnography of shoppers in an office supply retailer context. In this study we explored emergent themes of shopper-facing technology use and how they affected shopper behaviors, perceptions, and strategies. A service channel decision tree was developed to explain the series of technology use decisions that shoppers made as they negotiated the shopping task and a framework of retail technology experience was created to explain the phenomenon, its consequences, the shopper dispositional traits that impact those consequences, and the strategies that shoppers employ as a result. The second study is a survey of recent shoppers designed to test a model of technology-induced shopper ambivalence. Measures were developed and tested from technology paradox theory to expose how technology engagement and technology readiness are associated with technology-induced shopper ambivalence and how this ambivalence drives surprising changes to hedonic and utilitarian shopping values. Contributions to theory, managerial implications, and future research opportunities are discussed within each study and a convergence of findings provides insights across both studies

Visitor engagement and learning behaviour in science centres, zoos and aquaria

The purpose of this research was to devise an assessment tool to effectively capture the nature of visitors' learning experiences with live animal exhibits in zoos and aquaria. A comprehensive learning framework was developed and field-tested with a total of 900 visitor. The resulting framework provides researchers and practitioners in zoos and aquaria with a valuable tool to assess the learning impact of exhibits through observable behavioural indicators

Applying user experience (UX) design in interior space for art, science museums, and learning environments

This research study explores the role of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) in educational spaces: museums, science centers, galleries, libraries, and classrooms. This study examines the effects of enhancing displays in learning spaces and focuses on users’ interactions and experiences. This project observes the effectiveness of learning modes and styles applied in different museums and focuses on the users’ experiences in an educational environment, which was measured through student users’ impressions, behaviors, and performance. It was hypothesized that students would retain more information through the experience. The concepts covered included using UX/UI on websites and small devices. Results for hands-on learning showed that users benefit from the use of experiential devices and objects and are more engaged than the users in an environment with classic repetitive on-wall display. This study developed strategies that could be applied to enhance learning experience in educational displays

Healing built-environment effects on health outcomes: environment–occupant–health framework

An investigation examined the structured scientific evidence on healthcare facilities (the healing built environment – HBE) and its impact on patients’ health outcomes under a holistic conceptual evaluative framework. The integrative review considered 127 papers (of which 59 were review papers). It found there was no adequate framework that could integrate existing research findings holistically. Such a holistic framework needs to demonstrate the cumulative and interactive effects of various HBE characteristics on patients’ health outcomes and wellbeing. An environment–occupant–health (E-O-H) framework is proposed, taking a holistic perspective to identify and evaluate different HBE characteristics. The E-O-H framework should support future research by (1) identifying the HBE characteristics that affect health outcomes; (2) defining appropriate future research designs; and (3) understanding the need for holistic analysis of the integrated effects of diverse HBE characteristics on health outcomes

How do bidders’ organism reactions mediate auction stimuli and bidder loyalty in online auctions? The case of Taobao in China

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.Currently, it is critical to nurture bidder loyalty in the highly competitive online auction business. This study investigated the mediating effect of consumer perceptions between technological/brand stimuli and bidder loyalty to an online auction website by applying the traditional and evolutionary stimulus-organism-response models. We tested these models using 449 bidders from Taobao, an online auction service provider in China. Based on the results of covariance-based structural equation modelling, we showed that consumer perceptions fully mediate technological stimuli, but only partially mediate brand stimuli, and bidder loyalty. These results can be used to further improve the related research and practice.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Human experience in the natural and built environment : implications for research policy and practice

22nd IAPS conference. Edited book of abstracts. 427 pp. University of Strathclyde, Sheffield and West of Scotland Publication. ISBN: 978-0-94-764988-3

Customer journey: Online versus offline in fashion industry

Technological improvements are allowing the development of the customer experience both online and offline, and the purpose is to create a better experience. Nowadays, customers can decide to purchase products/ services in two different ways, i.e., online or offline. The online experience has been changing the way companies reach the customer, while in-store experience is the traditional way of purchasing. This study analyses the customer journey and the most important attributes when the customer wants to purchase a product and has to choose between the two channels in the fashion industry, in Portugal. It is important to understand why customers choose a channel instead of the other one, and if the combination of the two channels can improve customer experience. The fashion industry is very competitive; therefore it is necessary to constantly innovative and integrate both channels, with the use of technologies, such as virtual reality. In this industry, sensory elements are crucial, and it is necessary that these elements are also present in the online channel. Can the combination of online and offline channels be the best option for customers with the help of technology? Interviews were conducted and a qualitative analysis was carried out. The main findings indicate that sensory elements are essential when customers what to purchase a clothing item and that is one of the reasons that customers, in general, prefer to purchase offline. Moreover, using new technologies to bring the two channels together seems to be a good option.As melhorias tecnológicas têm vindo a permitir o desenvolvimento da experiência do consumidor tanto online como offline e o objetivo é criar uma melhor experiência. Hoje em dia, os consumidores podem decidir comprar produtos/ serviços de duas formas diferentes, ou seja, online ou offline. A experiência online tem vindo a mudar a forma como as empresas chegam ao consumidor, enquanto que a experiência em loja é a forma tradicional de compra. Este estudo analisa a jornada do consumidor e os atributos mais importantes quando o consumidor quer comprar um produto e tem de escolher entre os dois canais na indústria da moda, em Portugal. É importante entender porque é que o consumidores escolhem um canal ao invés do outro e se a combinação dos dois canais pode melhorar a experiência do consumidor. A indústria da moda é muito competitiva; portanto é necessário inovar constantemente e integrar ambos os canais, com o uso de tecnologias, como a realidade virtual. Nesta indústria, os elementos sensoriais são cruciais e é necessário que esses elementos também estejam presentes no canal online. A combinação dos canais online e offline, com a ajuda da tecnologia, poderá ser a melhor opção para os consumidores? Foram feitas entrevistas e realizada uma análise qualitativa. As principais conclusões indicam que os elementos sensoriais são essenciais quando os consumidores desejam comprar uma peça de roupa e, esse é um dos motivos pelos quais os consumidores, em geral, preferem comprar offline. Adicionalmente, o uso de tecnologias para aproximar os dois canais parece ser uma boa opção