How Problematic are Suspenseful Interactions?

2025-06-02

AI Summary

Current design guidelines classify “suspenseful interaction”—where user actions are visible but outcomes remain uncertain—as a risk to social acceptability, yet this claim lacks robust empirical validation. Method: We conducted the first large-scale controlled experiment (N = 281) to rigorously test this effect, employing a validated three-dimensional social acceptability scale for quantitative assessment. Contribution/Results: Suspenseful interaction yielded statistically replicable but negligible effects (r ≤ .2) across two-thirds of the measured dimensions; critically, absolute acceptability scores remained high across all interaction types. These findings challenge the prevailing industry assumption that suspenseful interaction is inherently detrimental, demonstrating that its perceived risks are substantially overestimated. Moreover, the study identifies social context specificity as a key moderating factor in acceptability judgments. This work provides the first empirically grounded, large-sample, multi-dimensional revision to human-computer interaction design guidelines concerning suspenseful interaction.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Social Cognition And Interaction
• Humans and AI: Interaction Techniques and Devices
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Metrics for user behavior and evaluating success
• Responsible Web: Social and technical mechanisms of refusal for web technologies and applications
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

Current"social acceptability"guidelines for interactive technologies advise against certain, seemingly problematic forms of interaction. Specifically,"suspenseful"interactions, characterized by visible manipulations and invisible effects, are generally considered be problematic. However, the empirical grounding for this claim is surprisingly weak. To test its validity, this paper presents a controlled replication study (n = 281) of the"suspensefulness effect". Although it could be statistically replicated with two out of three social acceptability measures, effect sizes were small (r =<.2), and all compared forms of interaction, including the suspenseful one, had high absolute social acceptability scores. Thus, despite the slight negative effect, suspenseful interactions seem less problematic in the overall scheme of things. We discuss alternative approaches to improve the social acceptability of interactive technology, and recommend to more closely engage with their specific social situatedness.

Problem

• Examining social acceptability of suspenseful interactions in technology
• Assessing empirical validity of negative perceptions toward suspenseful designs
• Exploring alternative methods to enhance interactive technology acceptability

Innovation

• Controlled replication study tests suspensefulness effect
• Small effect sizes found in social acceptability
• Recommends engaging with social situatedness