The Effect of Time Passage on Kansei Evaluation

- Wearing comfort of on-ear headsets as an example -

抄録

This study aims to investigate the effect of time passage on kansei evaluation, i.e. whether the results may change as the user interact with the product for a longer time compared against his/her first impression. Eight on-ear headsets covering three levels of ear pad material, two levels of headset weight, and two levels of clamping force were considered. Each of the 30 participants was asked to evaluate each of the eight headsets with 18 bipolar kansei keywords related to wearing comfort right after it was put on from behind by the test giver, so as to exclude the influence of visual stimuli. After experiencing the headset for 15 minutes without auditory input, the same evaluation was performed as the headset remained on the participant’s ears. Results indicate that the representative semantic concepts of wearing comfort changed over time, so did the corresponding design parameters. More specifically, users tend to underestimate the value of more breathable ear pad materials and the higher stability contributed by the stronger clamping force, unless they can experience on-ear headsets for a considerable time.