Abstract:
Perceptions of usability and user experience of a website can impede or enhance the use
of a resource and determine whether users will return to that website, as well as users’ perceived
value of the information on the site. When an online product or service meets the expectations of
the end user, a positive experience is more likely. This thesis presents an evaluation of usability
and user experience perceptions of two suicide prevention websites to explore ways these critical
resources may be improved. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the world and is
most prevalent in teen and young adult populations. Studies have provided evidence that the
Internet can influence behavior related to suicide (Miner, et al, 2016). Thus, this thesis seeks to
explore three goals to gauge user experience of the mental health intervention websites. First,
results from this research should address how the language and ease of navigation contribute to
more positive perceptions of the website. Second, results should provide a better understanding
of how visceral and cognitive judgments lead to a more trustworthy experience on the websites.
Third, this thesis explores how the attractiveness of the websites presented here may affect how
users judge usability.
