20100616-lab meeting

Attitude and Usage of Product Manuals for younger and older adults

wangwang

• The instruction manual is sometimes given in response to a problem/question when the user being asked believes that the problem/question could be easily answered by reading the relevant "manual" or instructions.

• It is also used to tell people to try to help themselves before seeking assistance from others.

RTFM "Read The Flaming Manual“ "Read The Famous Manual“ "Read The Fine Manual“ "Read The Freaking Manual“"Read The Full-On Manual“ "Read The Friendly Manual“"Read The Full Manual“ "Read The Field Manual“

Sometimes I also heard people say: Read the Fuxxing Manual??!!

Background• Consumers generally do use instruction manuals. But

when they do, they usually only scan the manual or use it as reference (Schriver 1997; Jansen and Balijon 2001).

• Users should be free from discomfort while using the instruction manual and the device, and develop positive attitudes toward their use (ISO 1998, 2004).

Background• A number of readers reported that they expected to find

information on how to use a product to save energy and on how to increase its longevity from the manual(Bruder, Wandke, & Blessing, 2006; Wiesea, Sauer, & Rüttinger, 2003).

• The study revealed that gender influences the frequency of reading instruction manuals: More men than women reported that they would first try to operate a product without referring to the instruction manual. Furthermore, women read instruction manuals more thoroughly than men(Gebert, 1988)

Purpose• The present study seeks to explore the extent to

which age group attitude and usage towards electronic consumer product influences the frequency of their reading the product manual.

• Key Point1: Do product manuals are important to users?

• Key Point2: Are there any age differences between the usage of product manual?

• Key Point3: Does the manual usage vary as the function of how frequently the users use the product

MethodsMaterials:• The questionnaire contained questions about demographic

information, purpose of using manual ,usage frequency and attitude of product manual.

• A list of 12 products was compiled and listed in a vertical list on one side of an A4 sheet. Immediately to the right of the product column was a second column headed the usage frequency of product and its manual which also indicated how often of the manual they would read for the particular item.

Did you use each of the following digital products in the past one year? (Please check for each question.)

MethodsSubjects• A total of 100 participants, 50 young adults between

19 and 30 years (M = 24.0, SD = 2.9) and 50 older adults between 65 and 79 years (M = 69.4, SD = 3.6) took part in the study.

• Of the 100 participants in this study, 24 were females and 26 were males in the older adults group, 27 were females and 23 were males in the older adults group.

Results

Finding 1 There is a difference on the attitude between

younger and older adults of the product manual when they are using new and unfamiliar products (x²=30.136, df=1, p<0.0005)- More younger adults(68%) than older adults reported that they would first try to operate a product without referring to the product manuals. On the contrary, More older adults(86%) rely on the product manuals when they are using new and unfamiliar products.

Key Point1: Do product manuals are important to users?

ResultsKey Point1: Do product manuals are important to users?

Q1:Do you think you would use the product manual while you are using a unfamiliar product?

ResultsKey Point1: Do product manuals are important to users?

What is your purpose for using the product manuals? Acquainted with the unfamiliar product Get help with a problem or mistake Remember forgotten operations or functions To learn new function Not to bother the other relatives To exchange opinion with peer learners or friends

Finding 2• There is a difference on the needs of product manual between

younger and older adults based on their purposes for the manual usage (t=4.602, df=98, p<0.0001)

• Older adults selected 3.8 items on the average, and younger adults selected 1.7 items on the average

ResultsKey Point2: Are there any age differences between the usage of product manual?

Finding 1• Over 70% older adults have the habit keeping their

product manual• There was a significant difference between the

observed and expected frequency of younger and older adults. Older adults were more likely than younger adults to keep the product manuals and less likely to lost on A1, B1, G1, J1 and K1.

ResultsKey Point2: Are there any age differences between the usage of product manual?

Finding 2• Over 50% of older adults have the habit using their

product manual.• There was a significant difference between the observed

and expected frequency of younger and older adults. Older adults were more likely than younger adults to use the product manuals and less likely to not use on A1, B1, C1, E1, F1, G1, H1, J1, K1 and L1.

ResultsKey Point3: Does the manual usage vary as the function of how frequently the younger and older adults use the product

Finding 1• For older adults, there was a significant difference

between the product usage frequency and manual usage on B1, C1, E1, G1, J1, K1 and L1.

• For younger adults, there was a significant difference between the product usage frequency and manual usage on B1 and E1.

Older Adults Younger Adults

Older Adults Younger Adults

Older Adults

Older Adults

Key Point1: Product manuals are important to users(Older adults)

Key Point2: There any age differences between the usage of product manual on particular items.

Key Point3: The manual usage varied as the function of how frequently the older adults use the particular product(two situation)

Conclusions

Please give me a piece of adviceThank you….