For a wearable device to find success in the marketplace, people must be comfortable wearing it.  The WEAR Scale is a useful tool in predicting the acceptability of a wearable, and it can also be used diagnostically, to understand how and why a wearable may lack acceptance by consumers. During the prototyping stage, WEAR Scale data can provide valuable insights for guiding design decisions.   WEAR Scale findings can also inform marketing plans, for a smoother journey to mass adoption.

I developed the WEAR Scale (for Wearable Acceptability Range) to measure and predict the social acceptability of any wearable device or prototype.  The survey consists of 14 items to which study participants respond in reference to a particular wearable.  The WEAR Scale was developed using DeVellis’s rigorous 9-step methodology, resulting in a valid and reliable measure for which I received an Iowa State University Research Excellence Award.

Kelly, N. (2016). The WEAR Scale: Development of a measure of the social acceptability of a wearable device (Doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University).

DeVellis, R. F. (2012). Scale development: Theory and applications. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.