FREEDOM OF CHOICE, EASE OF USE, AND THE FORMATION OF INTERFACE PREFERENCES.

Author List: Murray, Kyle B.; HŠubl, Gerald;
MIS Quarterly, 2011, Volume 35, Issue 4, Page 955-A6.
How does users' freedom of choice, or the lack thereof, affect interface preferences? The research reported in this article approaches this question from two theoretical perspectives. The first of these argues that an interface with a dominant market share benefits from the absence of competition because users acquire skills that are specific to that particular interface, which in turn reduces the probability that they will switch to a new competitor interface in the future. By contrast, the second perspective proposes that the advantage that a market leader has in being able to install a set of non-transferable skills in its user base is offset by a psychological force that causes humans to react against perceived constraints on their freedom of choice. We test a research model that incorporates the key predictions of these two theoretical perspectives in an experiment involving consequential interface choices. We find strong support for the second perspective, which builds upon the theory of psychological reactance.
Keywords: Interface preferences; ease of use; usability; user skills; consumer choice; psychological reactance; human capital; user based learning; psychological theory
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List of Topics

#283 0.164 interface user users interaction design visual interfaces human-computer navigation human need cues studies guidelines laboratory functional developed restricted know guided
#42 0.158 perceived results study field individual support effects microcomputer pressure external usefulness test psychological obligations characteristics variables indicate existence availability investigating
#75 0.126 behavior behaviors behavioral study individuals affect model outcomes psychological individual responses negative influence explain hypotheses expected theories consequences impact theory
#242 0.113 market competition competitive network markets firms products competing competitor differentiation advantage competitors presence dominant structure share using incumbent make important
#102 0.104 choice type functions nature paper literature particular implications function examine specific choices extent theoretical design discussion value widely finally adopted
#151 0.058 costs cost switching reduce transaction increase benefits time economic production transactions savings reduction impact services reduced affect expected optimal associated
#282 0.050 power perspective process study rational political perspectives politics theoretical longitudinal case social rationality formation construction shows multiple instead understanding fact