Are maximizers less satisfied with their choices than satisficers? This research provides a novel perspective on this question by distinguishing between two types of consumer goals: autotelic, when choice is a goal in itself, and instrumental, when a choice is a means to achieving other goals. Study 1 showed that maximizers value autotelic experiences more than satisficers. Study 2 experimentally manipulated the choice goal and found that maximizers compared to satisficers experience higher choice satisfaction when the choice goal is autotelic rather than instrumental. Additionally, evidence is provided for the underlying mechanism (perceived ease of choice) as well as downstream consequences (consumers' willingness to pay for their chosen option). These findings advance a conceptualization of maximizers as consumers seeking self-contained meaning in choice and provide new insights into the relation between maximizing and choice satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications for consumer decision-making are discussed.

The goal of most games is to entertain and elicit a response in the form of enjoyment from the player. Tools are used to accomplish this; they come in the extrinsic and intrinsic variety. We have focused on intrinsic rewards, the foundation of gratifying game-play experiences. In this study, we have explored the effects of these rewards on the player enjoyment by conducting three experiments with varying degrees of rewards. Established theories, e.g., flow theory have been consulted to create a suitable testing environment. The experiments used methods like “A/B” and “think aloud” in order to collect reliable data. Our findings suggest that a carefully balanced reward system is required to achieve the highest amount of player enjoyment. It is, however, preferable to have a seemingly excessive amount of rewards as the frustration is negligible in comparison to that which is caused by disappointment caused by insufficient rewards.

This essay investigates what may constitute a hypnotic digital artefact from a design standpoint. This essay is meant to help designers who want to create hypnotic digital artefacts in the shape of a game, or researchers who wants to further this field. With a case study analysing the game Cultist Simulator, this essay observes applications from this essay’s frameworks: NLP, Procedural Rhetorics, Flow, Trance, and Ericksonian Hypnosis. The case study serves to demonstrate how a larger scale reflection of intrinsic cross over points between hypnosis and the video game medium may take place within state-of-the-art discourse. This essay fulfils its design-aid purpose by charting factors that can be put in place to facilitate a trance and a hypnosis in a game, in a design table summarising design methods discussed. The means that may put a player’s mind in abeyance are posited here regarding how this may influence the game experience, including induction techniques, where suggestions are provided in how these might translate to a game format. Through its frameworks and case study, hypnotic content generation is put in focus, where this essay finds that games utilising metaphors and depicting inner spaces carry significance in this pursuit. It also finds that mirroring communication of the unconscious, such as adhering to rules of a dream state, and acknowledging the unconscious’ uses and capacities, has potential in this pursuit. Importantly, the essay includes a discussion on Cultist Simulator’s decadent aesthetics and its role in leading a player towards an alternate state of consciousness.

Si les principes d’utilisabilité guident la conception de solutions de design interactif pour s’assurer que celles-ci soient « utilisables », quels principes guident la conception d’objets interactifs pour s’assurer que l’expérience subjective de l’usager (UX) soit adéquate et mémorable? Que manque-t-il au cadre de l‘UX pour expliquer, comprendre, et anticiper en tant que designer une expérience mémorable (‘an experience’; Dewey, 1934)? La question centrale est issue d’une double problématique : (1) le cadre théorique de l’UX est incomplet, et (2) les processus et capacités des designers ne sont pas considérés et utilisés à leur pleine capacité en conception UX. Pour répondre à cette question, nous proposons de compléter les modèles de l’UX avec la notion d’expérience autotélique qui appartient principalement à deux cadres théoriques ayant bien cerné l’expérience subjective, soit l’expérience optimale (ou Flow) de Csikszentmihalyi (1988) et l’expérience esthétique selon Schaeffer (2001). L’autotélie est une dimension interne du Flow alors qu’elle couvre toute l’expérience esthétique. L’autotélie est une expérience d’éveil au moment même de l’interaction. Cette prise de conscience est accompagnée d’une imperceptible tension de vouloir faire durer ce moment pour faire durer le plaisir qu’il génère. Trois études exploratoires ont été faites, s’appuyant sur une analyse faite à partir d’un cadre théorique en trois parties : le Flow, les signes d’activité non verbale (les gestes physiques) et verbale (le discours) ont été évalués pour voir comment ceux-ci s’associent. Nos résultats tendent à prouver que les processus spatiaux jouent un rôle de premier plan dans l’expérience autotélique et par conséquent dans une UX optimale. De plus, ils suggèrent que les expériences pragmatique et autotélique sont ancrées dans un seul et même contenu, et que leur différence tient au type d’attention que le participant porte sur l’interaction, l’attention ordinaire ou de type autotélique. Ces résultats nous ont menés à proposer un modèle pour la conception UX. L’élément nouveau, resté jusqu’alors inaperçu, consiste à s’assurer que l’interface (au sens large) appelle une attitude réceptive à l’inattendu, pour qu’une information puisse déclencher les processus spatiaux, offrant une opportunité de passer de l’attention ordinaire à l’attention autotélique. Le nouveau modèle ouvre la porte à une meilleure valorisation des habiletés et processus du designer au sein de l’équipe multidisciplinaire en conception UX. / If usability guides the formal organisation of interactive systems as it pertains to being usable, useful and efficient, what principle(s) guide(s) the formal organisation of interactive systems when it comes to give form to the subjective dimension of the user experience? This question came from two perceived gaps in our understanding of UX: (1) the UX theoretical framework appears incomplete to this day. Going beyond experiencing, what is at play during Dewey’s an experience? (2) The process and abilities of designers are underused in the current theoretical and practical UX framework; what would provide a more designerly approach? We propose that the autotelic experience could bridge these gaps and be the UX counterpart to usability. The autotelic experience is an internal dimension at the heart of the optimal experience—Flow—(Csikszentmihalyi, 1975) and covering the whole of the aesthetic experience (Schaeffer, 2000). The autotelic experience is a shift in awareness occurring during the interaction. This awareness is accompanied by an imperceptible tension of wanting to make this moment last in order to continue enjoying the pleasure it generates (a circular motivation to stay in the interaction for the sake of the interaction itself) (Schaeffer, 2000). Our results suggest the key to the autotelic experience sits with visuospatial reasoning or more specifically to right hemisphere (RH) activation. Three exploratory studies were conducted, using a three-part theoretical framework where Flow, signs of nonverbal / spatial activity (physical gestures) and of verbal activity (discourse) were assessed for their various associations. The main contribution of this research is a model of autotelic experience made of three interlocking elements (high positive pressure, low mental demand and an openness to unexpected events) contextualised by either an active or a receptive engagement on the part of the user. One of the findings is that the pragmatic experience and the autotelic experience (which we have associated to Dewey’s an experience, 1934), are based on one and the same content, the only difference is the shift in attention on the participant’s part. All the elements of the model are known, but one, to design the experience in a way to keep the user open to the unexpected. This one element supports the occurrence of the shift from ordinary to autotelic attention. The new model opens the door to a better appreciation of designers’ skills and processes within multidisciplinary team in UX design.

Titel: Individuella skillnader i sensoriska behov: “Need for Scent”, “Need for Sound” och “Need for Vision” skalor. Ett bidrag till ämnets teoriutveckling.   Nivå: C-uppsats, examensarbete i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Emma Ekholm och Alexandra von Schreeb Handledare: Jonas Kågström Datum: 2017- maj                                                      Syfte: Avsikten med vår undersökning är att bidra till teoriutveckling inom ämnet sinnesmarknadsföring. Syftet med undersökningen är att analysera om och i så fall hur “Need for Touch” skalan går att omsättas till andra sinnen och användas inom multisensorisk marknadsföring.                                                                                                                        Metod: I denna studie har en kvantitativ studie utförts där 158 enkätsvar samlades in via en webbaserad undersökning där skalorna testades på respondenterna. Enkätsvaren analyserades i analysprogrammet SPSS där faktoranalys, klusteranalys och korrelationsanalys genomfördes. Resultat & Analys: Studien visade att sex faktorer kunde bildas varav faktor ett och två kunde bilda två stycken självständiga skalor, behov av doft (“Need for Scent”) och behov av ljud (“Need for Sound”), medan faktor tre, fyra och fem visar en tredimensionell skala, behov av syn (“Need for vision”). Fyra stycken kluster bildades även där vi fick fram ett kluster som uppvisar mycket högsensoriska beteenden och ett kluster som uppvisar mycket lågsensoriska beteenden.                                                                                             Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Då vi har konstaterat att sinnena doft, ljud och syn bildat självständiga skalor kan fortsatt forskning använda skalorna i konsumentforskning. Fortsatt forskning kan även studera varje kluster på ett djupare plan genom kvalitativa intervjuer. Vidare vore det även intressant att se om våra skalor går att omsätta till sinnet smak, någonting som inte har studerats tidigare. Uppsatsens bidrag: Undersökningen har bidragit till att utveckla den teoretiska grunden inom ämnet sinnesmarknadsföring och genom att vi har utökat Peck och Childers (2013) skala om behov av beröring till tre stycken nya fungerande skalor har vi belyst att det faktiskt är möjligt att använda sig av skalor för doft, ljud och syn för att mäta konsumenters individuella behov av doft, ljud och syn gällande produktutvärdering. / Title: Individual differences in sensory needs, “Need for Scent”, “Need for Sound” and “Need for Vision” scales: a contribution to theory development, in the subject of sensory marketing.  Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degrees in Business Administration Author: Emma Ekholm and Alexandra von Schreeb Supervisor: Jonas Kågström Date: 2017 - May Aim: The purpose of our study is to contribute to the field of theory development, in the subject of sensory marketing. The aim of the survey is to analyze how the Need for Touch scale can be converted into other senses, and to be used in multisensory marketing. Method: In this study, a quantitative study was performed and 158 questionnaires were collected from a web-based survey where the scales were tested on the respondents. We analyzed our collected data in the statistical program SPSS and a factor analysis, cluster analysis and a correlation analysis were conducted. Result & Analysis: This study present six different factors from the factor analysis, of which factor one and two made two independent scales, “Need for Scent” and “Need for Sound”. Factor three, four and five all includes vision, and developed a three-dimensional scale “Need for Vision”. This study also present four clusters, where we developed one cluster that exhibited very high-sensory behaviors and a second cluster that exhibited very low-sensory behaviors. Suggestions for future research: Since we found that the senses smell, sound and vision could be formed into three independent scales, future research could use the scales on consumer research. Future research could also study each cluster individually on a deeper level with qualitative interviews. Furthermore, it would be interesting to examine if our scales could be transformed into the sense of taste. Which has not yet been studied. Contribution of the thesis:  The study has contributed to develop the theoretical foundation in the subject of sensory marketing, and by expanding Peck and Childers (2013) “Need for Touch” scale to three new functional scales. We highlighted how it is possible to use scales for scent, sound and vision to measure consumers individual need for scent, sound and vision in regarding product evaluation.