Quantifying Meaningful Interaction: Developing the Eudaimonic Technology Experience Scale

Abstract

Recent research has shown that users increasingly seek meaning in technologies and that eudaimonic user experience (UX) is part of everyday encounters with technology. Yet, to date, there is no validated means to assess eudaimonic properties in interactive artefacts. We conceptualised, developed and validated a six-item questionnaire for measuring eudaimonic properties of technologies—the Eudaimonic Technology Experience Scale (ETES). Our scale includes two factors, which describe what aspects of a eudaimonic experience can be supported by technology: eudaimonic goals and self-knowlege. We consulted work in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), psychology and philosophy to gather an initial set of concepts that could contribute to eudaimonic UX. We then built the scale based on expert interviews and exploratory factor analysis and verified its quality in a number of tests (confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity checks). ETES provides a standardised tool for identifying eudaimonic qualities in interactive systems and allows for rapidly comparing prototypes.