were asked to judge the degree of aesthetic similarity of the 24
web pages based on their implicit criteria. The participants’ perceptual
structure of webpage aesthetics was then derived using
Individual Difference Multidimensional Scaling (INDSCAL). In the
second part of the study, the participants rated the 24 web pages
using scales for Complexity, Order, and Preference under two online
shopping scenarios (utilitarian and experiential).
The first part of the study is necessary to supplement the second
part in eliciting participants’ true perceptual structure of webpage
aesthetics. In the second part, the participants were given scales
measuring Complexity and Order that they rated the stimuli on.
This ‘‘loads’’ the study in favour of finding this very perceptual
structure, because the participants are primed to look for Complexity
and Order by the questions. The first part of the study, utilizing
the INDSCAL technique, overcomes this limitation by eliciting participants’
perceptions directly in a way that does not impose the
preconceived perceptual dimensions on them.