USE-Lite: Psychometric Item Reduction of the USE (Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use) Questionnaire

Abstract

The Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use Questionnaire (USE) is a 30-item measure of subjective usability. The content of the USE allows the usability of a product to be interpreted along four important dimensions—Usefulness, Ease of Use, Ease of Learning, and Satisfaction—rather than as a global construct. Although the USE has been a valuable tool for human factors professionals, previous analyses revealed the need for psychometrically refining the measure. Additionally, the USE is too long for many usability testing protocols that are already time consuming. The current study addresses these issues by developing the USE-Lite, which reduces the USE psychometrically, then submits it to subsequent validation efforts. Regarding the latter, 194 participants evaluated Amazon.com and Microsoft Word using the USE-Lite and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Across products, the USE-Lite had very high reliability overall and when separated by dimension. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated by correlating the USE-Lite dimensions and SUS yielding r =.40 to.76. In terms of dimensionality, a principal axis factor analysis was performed on both product data sets. Results revealed four factors generally aligning with the original dimensions (Usefulness, Ease of Use, Ease of Learning, and Satisfaction). Further research and potential item refinement are needed to fully assess the practical application of the USE-Lite.