Experimental Methodology

Hypothesis 1: User's will persist longer (perform more clicks) in a search if they feel as though they are on the right track.

Hypothesis 2: Even if users believe that they are on the right track, there is a somewhat universal limit to the number of clicks a user will perform before aborting search.

Hypothesis 3: User's will be more frustrated in non-scented searches than searches requiring more clicks.

Control Search: ??

Scented Search: Require the user to perform X number of clicks, where the search path is very clear and the user is confident that he is on the 'right track.'

Non-scented Search: Require the user to perform 2-3 clicks, but the correct search path is very unclear and the user is most likely not confident.

PROCEDURE:

1) Pre-task survey: gather demographic information, gather emotional/mood/task confidence information

2) Place subject in one of 3? experimental groups

3) Experimental Task

4) Post-task survey: gather emotional/mood/task confidence information

Experimental Task: This really still needs fleshing out but I think I want to ask user's to look up information about jobs posted on the CDC---I will provide them the date that the job was posted and tell them that they cannot 'search' for the job.

I think the non-scented task will be a search on imdb.

Since this is within-subjects I don't have as many variables to worry about. I will need to ask user's familiarity with both interfaces and also how attractive they perceive each interface to be (since perceived attractiveness of the interface affects search perseverance).