Abstract:

User experience refers to a person's perceptions and responses from their interaction with products. Electrophysiological techniques offer a possibility to measure user experience in real time. Three electrophysiological measures, Electrodermal activity (EDA), Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Electroencephalogram (EEG), were reviewed focusing on studies related to human cognitive and emotional state. Previous studies have found that the Skin conductance level (SCL) is related with emotional arousal level and cognitive engagement in EDA; Heart Rate (HR) is sensitive to emotional arousal and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is sensitive to mental workload in ECG; and alpha and beta waves in EEG are valid indicators of emotional state and mental workload. However, these indices are not sensitive to the valence and categories of emotion. Future research could be developed in three aspects: identifying the valence and categories of emotion in user experience, integrating and synchronizing multiple indicators to identify emotional state in real time, and measuring aesthetic experience by physiological technology.

Key words: User experience, electrophysiological measurement, cognitive state, emotional state