Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research refers to the process of understanding and identifying the way people use computer technology and tools (e.g. software, web sites). By mapping this interaction and applying the acquired knowledge, user-friendly interfaces can be designed and improved. For that purpose, mouse and keyboard use can be recorded, as well as interesting actions of the user, such as verbal expressions. This can be accomplished by using The Observer® XT and uLog™.

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application_note_observer_hci_screen.pdf	1.09 MB

To ensure efficiency in your usability studies, you need to give feedback to the development teams rapidly. At the same time, presentation of you results needs to be convincing to prevent that all efforts of recruiting test persons, setting up facilities, and testing are wasted! Since development processes often take place under time pressure, project leaders are generally unfavorably disposed towards delaying product releases due to the need to implement usability improvements. If you want your voice to be heard, you need hard evidence of the issues of improvement you found and you need it fast. That is exactly what The Observer® XT can do for you.

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application_note_observer_usabilitytesting_screen.pdf	132.48 KB

It is often the combination of behavioral data with other data modalities, such as physiological data, that makes research most valuable. That is why using The Observer® can take your research to a higher level: it offers fl exible integration of your logged events with other modalities such as eye tracking data.

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obsxt_eyetracking.pdf	578.61 KB

The coding scheme determines what data you collect and is, thus, an essential part of your behavioral study. Setting up a coding scheme is not as straightforward as it may seem. It often requires quite some thinking to define the perfect coding scheme. The Observer XT supports the whole process of refining and re-arranging the coding scheme by allowing you to build your coding scheme during scoring. Also the possibilities to score subjects or comments only and to define (up to ten) hierarchical levels, make that you can arrange your coding scheme any way you like it. This flexibility is one of the key features of The Observer XT.

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obsxt_wp_flexiblecoding.pdf	106.52 KB

Observational data are usually organized in discrete elements of varying complexity. In many cases it is important to relate data to variables that represent the context in which the observation takes place, for example the temperature of the room or the age of the subjects. Several of these variables may have different values in the same context, for example different subjects interacting in a room may have different ages. It is therefore important to relate data to such variables defined at different hierarchical levels. The Observer XT offers this possibility by linking subjects and multiple data sets to specific independent variables.

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obsxt_wp_hierarchy.pdf	346.83 KB

The Observer XT supports playback of most commonly used video file formats, such as various MPEG and AVI formats, DivX and WMV. It is also possible to feed a live video signal into The Observer, through a FireWire or USB connection, and create up to 2 video files (DV-AVI or WMV) in The Observer while carrying out an observation. Depending on the power of your computer, you could create additional video files with an MPEG encoder that can be started/stopped from within The Observer. With our Screen Capture Module you can capture the screen of a test PC in a high-quality video file. This is a wellknown need of usability professionals.

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obsxt_wp_newvideotechnology.pdf	102.08 KB

Theme™ is a software package for pattern detection in sequential data. It was originally developed for the analysis of social interactions. Theme uses raw data as input. Theme’s algorithms are based on relationships in the order and timing of behaviors. These relationships are critical in any goal directed action. Thus the time structures detected by Theme often reflect the purpose of behavior.

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obsxt_wp_usingtheme.pdf	793.96 KB

In what aspects exactly do children with a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), like autism, contrast with their peer group? Are there, for instance, differences in the level of organization of their behavior? Willemsen-Swinkels and her colleagues of the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands, addressed the latter question and compared the behavior of children with a PDD with that of normally developing children. The researchers videotaped 82 children (PDD and non-PDD) in a 40- min semi-structured playroom session after separation and reunion with one of their parents. The behavior of child and parent was coded from videotape by means of The Observer.

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theme_psychology.pdf	124.01 KB