Beyond domestication: Differentiating mental models from primary and secondary users in smart home lighting systems

Paper Title

Beyond domestication: Differentiating mental models from primary and secondary users in smart home lighting systems

Publication Info

• Topic area: User mental models and long-term domestication of smart home lighting systems
• Keywords: Smart home, mental models, primary users, secondary users, domestication theory, post-domestication, user experience, smart lighting, multi-user dynamics, system configuration

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing research on smart home systems has focused on early adoption and domestication but lacks understanding of how mental models evolve over time, particularly in multi-user households. The post-domestication phase, where systems are reconfigured and adapted, remains underexplored.
• Significance: Understanding mental models and post-domestication dynamics is critical for improving user experience, reducing friction, and designing systems that accommodate diverse household roles and evolving needs.
• Motivation and related work: Prior studies have examined smart home adoption, power dynamics, and user perceptions but have not fully addressed the cognitive processes underlying long-term use. Existing frameworks like domestication theory do not account for the iterative and evolving nature of smart home ecosystems.

Solution

• Proposed approach: A two-phase study combining ethnographic research and a follow-up online survey to explore mental models, user dynamics, and post-domestication processes in smart home lighting systems.
• Novelty:
  1. Identification of four mental model archetypes: spatial, contextual, functional, and metaphorical.
  2. Conceptualization of a "post-domestication" phase, highlighting iterative and evolving system use.
  3. Design recommendations to align smart home systems with diverse mental models and user roles.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Phase 1: Ethnographic study with 12 households in the Netherlands, including house tours, diary studies, and interviews.
  • Phase 2: Online survey with 93 participants from 13 countries, focusing on mental models, system usage, and post-domestication perceptions.
  • Analysis: Thematic analysis of qualitative data and statistical comparison of survey responses.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Four mental model archetypes identified: spatial (50.5% of primary users, 40.9% of secondary users), contextual (14.0% primary, 31.2% secondary), functional (28.0% primary, 12.9% secondary), and metaphorical (5.4% primary, 6.5% secondary).
  • Primary users exhibit higher involvement in system configuration and functional understanding, while secondary users rely more on contextual and physical controls.
  • Post-domestication is characterized by reduced novelty, feature abandonment, and periodic reconfiguration driven by contextual changes.
• Advantage over baselines: The study extends domestication theory by introducing the concept of post-domestication, addressing gaps in understanding long-term smart home use and multi-user dynamics.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Ethnographic study: 12 households, 22 participants, 23 drawings analyzed.
  • Survey: 93 paired responses, comparing primary and secondary users' mental models and behaviors.
  • Metrics: Mental model categories, system usage frequency, involvement in configuration, and perceived system completeness.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Limited to affluent, tech-savvy early adopters; findings may not generalize to broader populations.
  • Short observation period (two weeks) limits insights into long-term dynamics.
  • Future work should include larger, more diverse samples and longitudinal studies to validate findings and refine design recommendations.

Summary

This paper investigates how primary and secondary users conceptualize and interact with smart home lighting systems over time. Through ethnographic research and a global survey, it identifies four mental model archetypes and highlights significant differences in system understanding and involvement between user roles. The study introduces the concept of a post-domestication phase, emphasizing the iterative and evolving nature of smart home use. Findings inform design recommendations to better align smart home systems with diverse mental models, user roles, and long-term needs, contributing to more inclusive and adaptable smart home technologies.