User Experience and Social Influence: A New Perspective for UX Theory.

Research on User experience (UX) is mainly focused on the individual user’s technological experience. To extend the UX framework and to obtain a better understanding of the psychological processes involved, this research investigates the influence of the social environment (peer students and teachers) on user experience. This UX study is based on the Component of User Experience model developed by Thuring and Mahlke [1]. A survey was carried out in a Belgian and a French university to study students’ tablet user experience. Results indicate that peer students influence Perceived usefulness, Perceived ease of use, the Aesthetic aspects and the Motivational aspects while teachers only influence the Aesthetic aspects and Symbolic aspects. Globally, peer students influence instrumental and non-instrumental factors and teachers influence only non-instrumental factors. The results may be explained through the Group influence processes theory. In conclusion, this study offers a new perspective for research on UX. The theoretical framework should extend its scope to the social environment impact.