Human-Workout Machine Interaction In Dillon Gym By: Katy Milkman

Dillon Gym  People going to the gym to exercise are faced with IT on their workout machines and may also watch television or listen to a portable audio device while at Dillon. Computer on Stationary Bike at Dillon Computer on Stairmaster at Dillon

Questions Asked  Do different groups respond differently to technology in the gym environment?  Specific Variables: Gender Age Workout Machine Choice (Bike or Stairmaster) Workout Motivation (Fun, Health or Training) Preferred Workout Venue (Gym or Outdoors) Field of Study or Work (Quantitative or Qualitative)

Survey & Analysis  Surveyed 65 people at Dillon Gym on clement afternoons in April after they had finished working out on a stationary bike or Stairmaster  Survey: Survey:  10 Questions  Gathered necessary variables  Which computer features used and impact on workout satisfaction?  Importance of TVs and portable audio devices to workout?  Statistical Analysis:  Two Sample Proportion Test  Student’s Two Sample T-Test Bikes in DillonStairmasters in Dillon

Findings: Field of Study  Quantitative people use “timer” feature significantly less.  Quantitative people use “resistance” feature significantly less.  Quantitative people use “pre-programmed workout” feature significantly less.  Quantitative people use significantly fewer features.  Quantitative people rate computer features as more important to machine choice.

Findings: Gender  Females don’t rate their comfort with IT or use of IT significantly lower than males!  BODY IMAGE  Are workout machine computers tools?  Females use “calorie counter” feature significantly more.  Females listen to portable audio devices significantly more.  Female bikers rate others working nearby as a net detractor from workout satisfaction while male bikers do the opposite. The difference in rating is statistically significant.

Findings: OTHER  Bikers use “distance tracker” feature significantly less.  Bikers use “resistance” feature significantly less.  People who prefer to exercise outdoors rate computer features as significantly more important to machine choice.  People under 25 rate the contribution of TVs in the gym to their workout satisfaction significantly higher.

Questions Raised  Relationship between workout motivation and interaction with IT at the gym?  Relationship between age and interaction with IT at the gym?  More data is needed on these questions to draw interesting conclusions.

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