Applying Flow Theory to Predict User-Perceived Performance of Tablets

A users’ perception of interactive device performance is influenced by their feeling of being in control and that there is a sense of constant progress. A system will be able to keep users in the flow by meeting expectations and keeping up with their inputs and commands. The concept of flow has been discussed since the 1960’s and has been used in the context of computing devices; however, the ability to operationally define and quantitatively measure this construct is limited. This paper describes a study that tested a new framework for measuring flow as it relates to User-Perceived Performance (UPP) of tablets.