Constant Companion. How Frequent Phone Use and Interpersonal Communication Are Related to Users’ Emotional Appraisal

Abstract

Emotional appraisal is a core aspect of user experience. This study examines whether frequency of mobile phone use can have an impact on emotional aspects of mobile phone user experience. It also comments on the role of interpersonal communication for emotional evaluation. The results of an online survey in Germany (N = 836) reveal that frequencies are related to positive and negative emotions differently. Frequent phone users experience more positive emotions than others, but the frequent use of a mobile phone does not seem to reduce negative emotions. Surprisingly, this effect does not depend on the extent of interpersonal communication. Positive emotions seem to be stronger connected to a positive user experience, whereas negative emotions probably occur due to a bad usability. This can be interpreted as an evidence for Herzberg’s two-factor theory applied to user experience.