Children's embodied intuitive interaction - Design aspects of embodiment

Intuitive features could make complex products and interfaces easier to use for children, and designing for embodied interactions is considered as one of the ways to make products and interfaces intuitive to use. However, there is lack of empirical study to validate this relationship and to determine how embodiment could be integrated in the design of products and interfaces. This study has explored embodiment for intuitive interaction in children. The research question for the study was: what is the role of design aspects of embodiment in facilitation of intuitive interaction in children in the context of tactile interactions. The study identified the extent to which design aspects of embodiment facilitate intuitive interaction in children. An observational study with 108 children (55 girls and 53 boys) was carried out. Half of them played with physical Jenga and the other half played with a virtual Jenga. The physical Jenga demonstrated more intuitive interactions than the equivalent virtual interface. Physical affordance is the prime contributor to children’s intuitive interaction with physical products while perceived affordance is the prime contributor to children’s intuitive interaction with virtual interfaces. Embodied interactions can be achieved through the following design aspects of embodiment - physical affordances, perceived affordances, scaffolding, emergence and cooperative activity. The study has further provided recommendations to make interfaces embodied and intuitive through the Enhanced Framework for Intuitive Interaction. These findings are significant as they provide insights into children’s embodied and intuitive interactions, which contribute to the broader context of children’s interaction with physical products and virtual interfaces.