Many topics about the design of rating scales can provoke strong opinions and heated debates. The arguments include whether or not scales should include a neutral response. Unlike rating scales with an even number of points (e.g., 4, 6, or 10), rating scales with an odd number of points (e.g., 5, 7, or 11) contain
How do you measure tech savviness? For several years (since 2015), we’ve been on a mission to develop a valid and practical measure. In our earlier articles, we have Reviewed the literature. We reviewed the literature on tech-savvy measures and found three key approaches to measuring tech-savviness by assessing (1) what a person knows, (2)
The standard deviation is the most common measure of variability. It’s less intuitive than measures of central tendency such as the mean, but it plays an essential role in analysis and sample size planning. The standard deviation is a key ingredient when building a confidence interval and can be easily computed from a sample of
In an earlier article, we described a pilot study from 2015 in which we investigated how to measure tech savviness. Building on the published literature, we generated candidate items that measured three aspects of tech savviness: what people know, what people do, and what people feel. In that pilot study, we assessed knowledge using a
How do you measure tech savviness? Abstract constructs such as usability, trustworthiness, intelligence, and desirability can be difficult to measure. The same applies to tech savviness. But to paraphrase Potter Stewart, we know a tech-savvy person when we see one. Tech savviness should matter to UX researchers. When we measure an experience, we don’t want
User experience research has many methods. Some methods, such as usability testing, are used frequently and have been around for decades. Other, more recent additions, such as click testing, are useful variations on existing methods. Selecting the right UX method means narrowing down the available methods to those that will address (1) the primary research
What is tech savviness? While it might be hard to define, you probably know someone whom you consider tech savvy—they might even be your go-to person for solving tech issues. Or maybe you know people who aren’t tech savvy and struggle with all technology. But why should UX researchers care? The concept of tech savviness
Surveys are one of the most popular methods in applied research. While many have argued that surveys are overused, it’s hard to believe that surveys have no place in multi-method UX research. When conducting survey-based research, you’ll often encounter the terms census, poll, and questionnaire used in conjunction with—and often interchangeably with—the term survey. But
Crafting survey questions involves thinking first about the content and then about the format (form follows function). Earlier, we categorized survey questions into four content types (attribute, behavior, ability, or sentiment) and four format classes (open-ended, closed-ended static, closed-ended dynamic, or task-based). As with any taxonomy, there are several ways to categorize response options (e.g.,
When approaching a UX research project, one of the first things to consider is the method. And UX research has many methods. Methods can be categorized as quantitatively focused (e.g., A/B tests) or qualitatively focused (e.g., interviews). Most UX research methods can collect both qualitative and quantitative data. For example, surveys often collect both closed-ended
