User Frustration : Measuring and Modeling the Disruption from Poor Designs

User frustrationn inn the use of informationn andd computing technology is a pervasive andd persistent problem.. Whenn computers crash,, networkk congestionn causes delays,, andd poor user interfaces trigger confusionn there are dramatic consequences for individuals,, organi zations,, andd society.. These frustrations not only cause personal dissatisfactionn andd loss of self-efficacy,, but may disrupt workplaces,, slow learning,, andd reduce participationn inn local andd national communities.. We propose a Computing Frustrationn Model with incident specific andd indi vidual variables too guide research.. Our study of 1088 computer users shows highh levels of fr ustrationn andd loss of 1/33 too 1/22 of time spent.. The importance of the users'' goals andd the s everity of the disruptionn were correlatedd withh frustration.. Those whoo hadd strong self-efficacy,, i ndicatedd by a willingness too stickk too solving the problem,, reportedd lower levels of frustration.. Introduction Everyone is familiar withh computer problems andd the ensuing frustr ationn that results when, yet again,, your program crashes withh noo warning,, taking the last thirty minut es of work withh it.. Frustrationn is a commonn theme among computer users.. As technology rapidly advances,, w e the users must deal withh the ensuing error messages that invariably result,, as well as annoying delays,, incompatible files,, andd indecipherable menus.. These challenges are well-knownn by individual users,, but less is knownn about the workplace consequences of these frustrating experiences.. How muchh time is l ost onn a daily basis as we struggle withh our machines? How doo these experiences affect our mood,, our days,, our bei ng? What role does our prior experience withh technologyy play? The challenge of the " digital divide, " a gapp betweenn those whoo h ave access too and cann effectively use informationn technology andd those who doo not,, was originally ident Bothh of these programs were designedd too create andd improve technology access andd use inn under-se rvedd andd low-income communities.. A policy brief releasedd by the Bentonn Foundationn (Dickardd 2002) demonstra tes that these programs were vital too the reductionn inn the technology gapp existent inn America today.. Inn addition,, a reexaminationn of the same data by the Consumer Federationn of America (Cooper 2002) cl aims that the perceptionn that the " digital divide is disappearing " is wrong,, andd that the data ac tually show the opposite. We believe that user frustrationn is a significant issue t hat is closely tiedd too the digital …