How Manufacturer Brand Reputation Influences Evaluation of Human-Machine Interfaces: A User Study

External factors of human-machine interaction (e.g., brand reputation) can influence user studies. This study investigates the impact of brand reputation on the evaluation of human-machine interfaces (HMI). A developmental cooperation between two manufacturers created the unique opportunity to evaluate the same HMI in two different vehicles. In a 2x2 between-subjects design, N = 60 participants completed a set of use cases with the infotainment system in a vehicle of one brand. Additionally, a brand-neutral environment was created as a baseline (condition visibility). Usability and user experience operationalized with the System Usability Scale and the meCUE questionnaire served as measures to evaluate the HMI. Results revealed no main effects of brand nor visibility. Additional regressions of attitude measures and a brand reputation questionnaire, however, revealed relationships between reputation and hedonic measures. The results point towards the robustness of usability measures and potential susceptibility of hedonic measures.