Materials, use and contaminated interaction

Abstract

Materials help communicate meaning to users. This meaning changes with time as the object transforms due to use. Through a two-phase study, this research develops new understanding of how people appraise used objects and the mechanisms driving contamination-the aversion that one has towards engaging with used objects. In the first phase, observations of indicators of use were collected from participants in order to develop a general typology for indicators of use and deduce the sensorial properties of used objects. In the second phase, these observations were analysed to isolate the data, which caused feelings of aversion. The subset of observations marked with aversion was labelled as contaminated. Further analysis revealed three mechanisms driving contamination-hygiene, utility, and territory-presented together as the HUT contamination model. Sensorial properties from the first study were mapped to contamination mechanisms and properties most frequently contributing to contamination were identified. The properties contributing to the various contamination mechanisms differ significantly. Hygienic contamination typically results from transient object states, utility contamination from permanent changes to object characteristics, and territorial contamination from object settings and contextual factors. As expected, the majority of the indicators contributing to contamination are related to material properties. This work acts as a link between material selection and contaminated interaction with used objects.

‘If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Explain It’: The Influence of Visual and Verbal Information about Prior Use on Consumers’ Evaluations of Refurbished Electronics

“…Other studies link wear and tear to an increase in the perception of contagion of a product (Baxter, Aurisicchio, and Childs 2015;White et al 2016). Wear and tear function here as a cue that the product was used and touched by others, which leads to perceptions of contagion, negatively influencing the product evaluations Morales 2006, 2008).…”

“…Wear and tear function here as a cue that the product was used and touched by others, which leads to perceptions of contagion, negatively influencing the product evaluations Morales 2006, 2008). Moreover, the product's exterior is the most frequently used cue to determine whether and how a product has been used before (Baxter, Aurisicchio, and Childs 2015). In the second-hand market, visual information about prior use, such as wear and tear, is commonly used to assess the risks attached to a product purchase (Derbaix 1983;Gabbott 1991).…”

“…A study on second-hand clothing revealed that consumers had a higher disgust rate when informed that the clothing had previously been used, cleaned, and sanitized (Ackerman and Hu 2015). Reminding consumers that someone else used the product might elicit a negative reaction due to fears of contagion; 'the process through which the quality, meaning or value of an object changes due to interaction with someone or something' (Baxter, Aurisicchio, and Childs 2015). Verbal information about prior use is a reminder that the product has been used and touched before.…”

Cosmetic obsolescence? User perceptions of new and artificially aged materials

“…obedient -rebellious. The selection of word pairs was also influenced by Baxter et al [3])'s 'sensorial properties' and 'indicators of use'. The bipolar word pairs used at this stage were: Cold -Warm, Sticky -Non sticky, Moist -Dry, Slippery -Firm hold, Soft -Hard, Smooth -Rough, and Dislike -Like.…”

Analysis of Heavy Metals in Smoke Deposits in the Limewash of the Royal Artillery Factory of Seville (17th Century): Contributions to the Location of the Furnaces

“…, 326; Baxter et al . , 1218). The oldest preserved documentation about the smelting activity carried out in the RAFS contains records that around 900 T/year of copper and tin were smelted there in the mid‐17th century, giving an idea of the volume of material processed in the factory (Aguilar Escobar ).…”