Short answer
When designing for or researching with any subject, consider their potential subjective interpretation of the context and your interaction with them.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Angelaki (2015)
- Method
- Conceptual analysis and synthesis of existing research and anecdotal evidence.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
The subjective experience and interpretation of experimental conditions by animals can significantly alter their responses, suggesting a need to consider their perspective in research design. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2015 study published in Angelaki. Using Conceptual analysis and synthesis of existing research and anecdotal evidence., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for or researching with any subject, consider their potential subjective interpretation of the context and your interaction with them.
Animal Subjectivity Influences Experimental Outcomes
The subjective experience and interpretation of experimental conditions by animals can significantly alter their responses, suggesting a need to consider their perspective in research design.
Angelaki · 2015
Key Findings
- 01Animals may not be responding to the direct experimental question but to a different question shaped by their subjective interpretation of the situation.
- 02The relationship between the animal and the experimenter can influence the animal's perception and behaviour within the experiment.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing for or researching with any subject, consider their potential subjective interpretation of the context and your interaction with them.
How to apply
When designing user interfaces, physical products, or research protocols, actively brainstorm how different users (human or otherwise) might perceive and react to the design based on their own worldviews and past experiences.
Project actions
- 01When observing users, look for unexpected behaviours that might indicate a different interpretation of the task or environment.
- 02Consider how your own presence or the context of the design process might be influencing user behaviour.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Challenges conventional, objective-only approaches to research and design.
- +Promotes a more holistic and empathetic understanding of subjects.
Limitations
It can be challenging to definitively prove or measure the subjective experience of another being, making it difficult to directly test this concept in a design project.
Reliability & validity
The validity lies in its conceptual challenge to objectivity. Reliability is difficult to establish due to the inherent subjectivity of the phenomenon being discussed.
Think critically
How can a designer ethically and practically attempt to understand or account for the subjective experience of a user, especially when direct communication is limited or impossible?
Design Principles
"Design for subjective interpretation: Acknowledge that users will interpret and respond to designs based on their unique perspectives and experiences."
This challenges purely objective approaches in design and research involving living subjects. It prompts designers and researchers to move beyond assuming a passive subject and instead consider the active, interpretive role of the user, even when that user is an animal.
What This Means for Your Design
Imagine you're designing a new toy for a dog. Instead of just thinking about what *you* think is fun, try to imagine what the dog *itself* might find fun or confusing, based on its own doggy experiences and how it sees you.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this paper when discussing the importance of understanding user perspective beyond surface-level behaviour, especially if your design project involves complex user interactions or potential for misinterpretation.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The principle of user subjectivity, as explored by Despret (2015), highlights that users interpret experimental conditions and design interventions through their own unique perspectives. This suggests that observed behaviours may not solely reflect the intended stimuli but also the user's internal cognitive and emotional processing, influenced by their past experiences and relationships with the researcher or designer. Therefore, design research must strive to uncover and account for these subjective interpretations to ensure the efficacy and appropriateness of the final design.
Source
Questions About This Research
- What does the research say about animal subjectivity influences experimental outcomes?
- When designing for or researching with any subject, consider their potential subjective interpretation of the context and your interaction with them. Evidence: Angelaki (2015).
- Why does "Animal Subjectivity Influences Experimental Outcomes" matter for design?
- This challenges purely objective approaches in design and research involving living subjects. It prompts designers and researchers to move beyond assuming a passive subject and instead consider the active, interpretive role of the user, even when that user is an animal.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing for or researching with any subject, consider their potential subjective interpretation of the context and your interaction with them.
- What were the main findings?
- Animals may not be responding to the direct experimental question but to a different question shaped by their subjective interpretation of the situation.. The relationship between the animal and the experimenter can influence the animal's perception and behaviour within the experiment.
- What research method was used?
- Conceptual analysis and synthesis of existing research and anecdotal evidence..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2015 journal from Angelaki.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing user interfaces, physical products, or research protocols, actively brainstorm how different users (human or otherwise) might perceive and react to the design based on their own worldviews and past experiences.
- What are the limitations?
- This is a conceptual argument, not based on direct empirical testing of the hypothesis within the paper itself. The 'subjectivity' of animals is complex and difficult to definitively measure.