UX EVALUATION METHODS

Self Assessment Scale (SAM)

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Summary

SAM is an emotion assessment tool that uses graphic scales, depicting cartoon characters expressing three emotion elements: pleasure, arousal and dominance. SAM has been used often in evaluations of advertisements, and increasingly also in evaluations of products. SAM is based on the PAD emotion model of Mehrabian.

Description

The SAM questionnaire is filled in after the user is familiar with the stimuli, e.g. the product being evaluated.

Strengths

It is claimed that SAM is validated, although publications about the validation are not so clear on that; international comparison studies have been conducted; since it is a pictorial rather than a verbal scale this has advantages in certain situations; very quick to administer
used in different settings, ranging from testing the appeal of advertisments and commercials to products, interactions, etc

Weaknesses

– same drawbacks as with all subjective scales; the dominance scale is not always easily understood by participants, and also not easy to apply in certain settings; often not included in product evaluation studies

References describing the method