Beyond Snapshots: Validation of a Continuous Frustration Assessment in a Simulator and Real-World Setting

Abstract

Scale-based questionnaires are frequently used to assess complex psychological states such as emotions; however, these scales are often utilized for single-instance reporting and as such do not capture the complete dynamics of emotion occurrence and changes. This study aimed to compare a continuous after-study measurement of subjectively experienced frustration, to frustration ratings given on a 5-point Likert scale reported after each condition. Data was collected in a high-fidelity driving simulator and in a real-world study with an automated driving vehicle. We found that the during-study Likert-Scale ratings correlate highly with the mean after-study continuous frustration ratings in both the simulator and real-world setting. The results indicate that the after-study continuous rating is a viable alternative to the during-study Likert-scale when measuring frustration.