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The Unlikeability of a Cuddly Toy Interface: An Experimental Study of Preschoolers’ Likeability and Usability of a 3D Game Played with a Cuddly Toy Versus a Keyboard

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Fun and Games (Fun and Games 2008)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 5294))

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Abstract

We report on a comparative study of the likeability and usability of a cuddly toy interface versus a keyboard interface. We put 35 preschoolers to the test and asked them to play a 3D game via a keyboard and via a cuddly toy interface. Afterwards the usability (user-friendliness) and the likeability (joy-ofuse) of both interfaces were assessed. Our results indicate that the cuddly toy interface was neither more likeable nor more usable than the keyboard interface. Based on additional qualitative data, we argument that the causes might be fatigue, a lack of meaningful use of gestures, and the occurrence of ‘satisficing’.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. eMedia, Groep T Leuven Engineering School, Vesaliusstraat 13, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Vero Vanden Abeele

  2. CUO, IBBT, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Parkstraat 45, bus 3605, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Bieke Zaman

  3. MASSCOM, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Parkstraat 45, bus 3603, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Mariek Vanden Abeele

Authors
  1. Vero Vanden Abeele
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  2. Bieke Zaman
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  3. Mariek Vanden Abeele
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5600MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Panos Markopoulos  & Wijnand IJsselsteijn  & 

  2. Philips Research, Media Interaction, Prof. Holstlaan 4, 5656 AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Boris de Ruyter

  3. Mixed Reality Laboratory, The University of Nottingham, NG8 1BB, Nottingham, UK

    Duncan Rowland

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Vanden Abeele, V., Zaman, B., Vanden Abeele, M. (2008). The Unlikeability of a Cuddly Toy Interface: An Experimental Study of Preschoolers’ Likeability and Usability of a 3D Game Played with a Cuddly Toy Versus a Keyboard. In: Markopoulos, P., de Ruyter, B., IJsselsteijn, W., Rowland, D. (eds) Fun and Games. Fun and Games 2008. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5294. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88322-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88322-7_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-88321-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-88322-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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