Using Quality Ratings to Predict Modality Choice in Multimodal Systems

A standardized procedure to evaluate the perceived quality of multimodal systems is still lacking. Previous research has however shown that the quality ratings for a multimodal system are equal to the weighted sum of the quality ratings of its individual modalities, with the modality that is more frequently used having a stronger influence. These findings suggest, that if the choice of modality can be predicted, an estimation of the quality of the multimodal systems is possible, based solely on an evaluation of its component modalities. Accordingly, the current study investigates the prediction of modality choice based on quality ratings of the component modalities, in order to achieve accurate quality predictions for multimodal systems. It is shown that predictions of modality choice as well as the overall system quality are possible. Furthermore, an age effect is observed: if older adults are included, predictions are less precise.