Techno-unreliability: A pilot study in the field

Abstract

We report on a pilot study, with the aim of investigating techno-unreliability in the field. Over the course of three days, we collected physiological data (heart rate) from four participants, which experienced manipulations that rendered a variety of work-related systems unusable. Although we found that it is feasible to also investigate technostress in this way in the field, more data is needed to interpret the captured physiological reactions. In particular, we need data that allows us to investigate stress appraisal, ideally at a sampling rate that is comparable to those that we get from capturing physiological data.