In today's digital age, social media platforms have become powerful tools for communication, enabling users to express their opinions while also exposing them to various forms of hateful speech and content. While prior research has often focused on the efficacy of online counterspeech, little is known about peoples' motivations for engaging in it. Based on a survey of 458 U.S. participants, we develop and validate a multi-item scale for understanding counterspeech motivations, revealing that differing motivations impact counterspeech engagement between those that do and not find counterspeech to be an effective mechanism for counteracting online hate. Additionally, our analysis explores peoples' perceived effectiveness of their self-written counterspeech to hateful posts, influenced by individual motivations to engage in counterspeech and demographic factors. Finally, we examine peoples' willingness to employ AI assistance, such as ChatGPT, in their counterspeech writing efforts. Our research provides insight into the factors that influence peoples' online counterspeech activity and perceptions, including the potential role of AI assistance in countering online hate. / Master of Science / In today's digital age, social media platforms have become powerful tools for communication, enabling users to express their opinions while also exposing them to various forms of hateful speech and content. In addition to content moderation, counterspeech, or direct responses aimed at undermining hateful speech, is a tool that is being explored by organizations to counteract online hate, as it has been shown to prevent "platform hopping" while also promoting free speech. While prior research has primarily focused on the effectiveness of various types of counterspeech, little is known about what motivates people to engage in it. Based on a survey of 458 U.S. participants, we develop and validate a multi-item scale for understanding counterspeech motivations, revealing that differing motivations impact counterspeech engagement between those that do and not find counterspeech to be an effective mechanism for counteracting online hate. Additionally, our analysis explores peoples' perceived effectiveness of their counterspeech, influenced by individual motivations to engage in counterspeech and demographic factors. Finally, we examine peoples' willingness to employ AI assistance, such as ChatGPT, in their counterspeech writing efforts. Our research provides insight into the factors that influence peoples' online counterspeech activity and perceptions, including the potential role of AI assistance in countering online hate.

This dissertation proposes principles for the design of ubiquitous health monitoring applications that support reflection and learning in context of diabetes management. Due to the high individual differences between diabetes cases, each affected individual must find the optimal combination of lifestyle alterations and medication through reflective analysis of personal diseases history. This dissertation advocates using technology to enable individuals' proactive engagement in monitoring of their health. In particular, it proposes promoting individuals' engagement in reflection by exploiting breakdowns in individuals' routines or understanding; supporting continuity in thinking that leads to a systematic refinement of ideas; and supporting articulation of thoughts and understanding that helps to transform insights into knowledge. The empirical evidence for these principles was gathered thought the deployment studies of three ubiquitous computing applications that help individuals with diabetes in management of their diseases. These deployment studies demonstrated that technology for reflection helps individuals achieve their personal disease management goals, such as diet goals. In addition, they showed that using technology helps individuals embrace a proactive attitude towards their health indicated by their adoption of the internal locus of control.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Technology plays a big role in our lives. However, many do not have access to technology and the knowledge it provides, giving rise to the so-called digital divide. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the impact of digital storytelling for social innovation, considering the digital landscape of South Africa. For example, it is important to consider what types of technologies have worked and are still working to capture stories. Furthermore, to consider what skills the end-users would require to use the system and what devices would be best suited for them—PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone—and what software would be required to capture their stories. Finally, access to Wi-Fi or the Internet would need to be economically viable. Despite the vast research that has been done on digital storytelling, not much has been done in terms of its impact on social innovation and how a digital platform should be designed to enrich social innovation and creativity.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The rapid infusion of artificial intelligence into everyday technologies means that consumers are likely to interact with intelligent systems that provide suggestions and recommendations on a daily basis in the very near future. While these technologies promise much, current issues in low transparency create high potential to confuse end-users, limiting the market viability of these technologies. While efforts are underway to make machine learning models more transparent, HCI currently lacks an understanding of how these model-generated explanations should best translate into the practicalities of system design. To address this gap, my research took a pragmatic approach to improving system transparency for end-users. Through a series of three studies, I investigated the need and value of transparency to end-users, and explored methods to improve system designs to accomplish greater transparency in intelligent systems offering recommendations. My research resulted in a summarized taxonomy that outlines a variety of motivations for why users ask questions of intelligent systems; useful for considering the type and category of information users might appreciate when interacting with AI-based recommendations. I also developed a categorization of explanation types, known as explanation vectors, that is organized into groups that correspond to user knowledge goals. Explanation vectors provide system designers options for delivering explanations of system processes beyond those of basic explainability. I developed a detailed user typology, which is a four-factor categorization of the predominant attitudes and opinion schemes of everyday users interacting with AI-based recommendations; useful to understand the range of user sentiment towards AI-based recommender features, and possibly useful for tailoring interface design by user type. Lastly, I developed and tested an evaluation method known as the System Transparency Evaluation Method (STEv), which allows for real-world systems and prototypes to be evaluated and improved through a low-cost query method. Results from this dissertation offer concrete direction to interaction designers as to how these results might manifest in the design of interfaces that are more transparent to end users. These studies provide a framework and methodology that is complementary to existing HCI evaluation methods, and lay the groundwork upon which other research into improving system transparency might build.

To date, hundreds of millions of mini-QWERTY keyboard equipped devices (miniaturized versions of a full desktop keyboard) have been sold. Accordingly, a large percentage of text messages originate from fixed-key, mini-QWERTY keyboard enabled mobile phones. Over a series of three longitudinal studies I quantify how quickly and accurately individuals can input text on mini-QWERTY keyboards. I evaluate performance in ideal laboratory conditions as well as in a variety of mobile contexts. My first study establishes baseline performance measures; my second study investigates the impact of limited visibility on text input performance; and my third study investigates the impact of mobility (sitting, standing, and walking) on text input performance. After approximately five hours of practice, participants achieved expertise typing almost 60 words per minute at almost 95% accuracy. Upon completion of these studies, I examine the types of errors that people make when typing on mini-QWERTY keyboards. Having discovered a common pattern in errors, I develop and refine an algorithm to automatically detect and correct errors in mini-QWERTY keyboard enabled text input. I both validate the algorithm through the analysis of pre-recorded typing data and then empirically evaluate the impacts of automatic error correction on live mini-QWERTY keyboard text input. Validating the algorithm over various datasets, I demonstrate the potential to correct approximately 25% of the total errors and correct up to 3% of the total keystrokes. Evaluating automatic error detection and correction on live typing results in successfully correcting 61% of the targeted errors committed by participants while increasing typing rates by almost two words per minute without introducing noticeable distraction.

[pt] A Internet das Coisas (IoT, do inglês Internet of Things) refere-se à infraestrutura tecnológica emergente formada por objetos cotidianos e ambientes dotados de computação e conectividade a fim de fornecer serviços digitalmente enriquecidos e comportamentos responsivos no mundo físico. Como com toda tecnologia, nas pontas da IoT há as pessoas que projetam e as que usam essa tecnologia de alguma forma. Projetar a interação para a IoT apresenta desafios novos e antigos. Nesta tese, eu abordo dois deles, a metacomunicação e a apropriação. O primeiro tem a ver com as pessoas que projetam a IoT; o último, com as que usam. Aplicando a Engenharia Semiótica como uma lente teórica ao estudo da IoT, realizei seis estudos usando diferentes métodos cujos resultados foram combinados em três contribuições. Primeiro, proponho um modelo semiótico de apropriação de tecnologia como uma ferramenta epistêmica para apoiar projetistas a refletirem sobre como os usuários adotam a tecnologia de IoT. Segundo, proponho uma caracterização semiótica para a tecnologia da IoT como metacomunicação, chamada de engenharia semiótica de tecnologias multiníveis e multilaterais, uma ferramenta inicial para a aplicação de princípios e métodos de Engenharia Semiótica à tecnologia da IoT. Terceiro, minha abordagem de pesquisa foi generalizada em um macro-método para pesquisa em tecnologias inovadoras como uma alternativa útil para pesquisas onde há falta de consenso e/ou diversidade metodológica e epistemológica, como em novas tecnologias. Essas contribuições estendem os conhecimentos da Engenharia Semiótica como teoria e fornecem recursos poderosos para projetistas e pesquisadores refletirem sobre a tecnologia de uma maneira centrada no ser-humano, eu argumento. / [en] The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the emerging technological infrastructure formed by everyday objects and environments endowed with computing and networking power in order to provide digitally enhanced services and responsive behaviors in the physical world. As with every technology, at the end points of the IoT, there are people designing and using this technology somehow. Designing interaction for the IoT presents old and new challenges. In this thesis, I address two of them, namely metacommunication and appropriation. The former has to do with the people who design the IoT; the latter, with those who use it. By applying Semiotic Engineering as a theoretical lens to the study of IoT technology, I conducted six studies using different research methods which results were combined in three contributions. Firstly, I am proposing a semiotic model of technology appropriation, which is proposed as an epistemic tool to support designers reflect on how users adopt IoT technology. Secondly, I am proposing a semiotic characterization of IoT technology as metacommunication called the semiotic engineering of multi-level and multi-sided technologies, as an initial framework for the application of Semiotic Engineering principles and methods to IoT technology. Thirdly, my research design was generalized into a macro-method for approaching innovative technologies research. I claim that it is an useful alternative in research domains where there is a lack of methodological and epistemological consensus and/or diversity, such as with new technologies. These contributions both extend the body of knowledge of semiotic engineering as a theory and provide powerful resources for designers and researchers to reflect on technology in a human-centered way, I argue.

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Feminist self-defense is a form of victim prevention training with a plethora of positive physical, mental, and social outcomes. In Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) self-defense is still a relatively under-researched topic. As such, inspired by HCI’s recent interest in feminist causes and corporeal practices, the goal of the study is to explore how embodied interaction design can empower beginner self-defense practitioners. To do so, the study was conducted via two methods: semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, and a participatory speculative design workshop with novice practitioners. This resulted in several speculative design concepts based on the use of felt experiences as a design resource. The concepts demonstrate how design can be used as a vehicle for imagining feminist technology that challenges gender norms and plays the role of scaffolding for cultivating embodied empowerment.

Due to the fastest growing senior population, age-related cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease, are becoming among the most common diseases in the United States. Currently, prevention through delay is considered the best way to tackle Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, as there is no known cure for those diseases. Early detection is crucial, in that screening individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment may delay its onset and progression. For my dissertation work, I investigate how computing technologies can help medical practitioners detect and monitor cognitive impairment due to dementia, and I develop a computerized sketch-based screening tool. In this dissertation, I present the design, implementation, and evaluation of the ClockMe System, a computerized Clock Drawing Test. The traditional Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is a rapid and reliable instrument for the early detection of cognitive dysfunction. Neurologists often notice missing or extra numbers in the clock drawings of people with cognitive impairments and use scoring criteria to make a diagnosis and treatment plan. The ClockMe System includes two different applications - (1) the ClockReader for the patients who take the Clock Drawing Test and (2) the ClockAnalyzer for clinicians who use the CDT results to make a diagnosis or to monitor patients. The contributions of this research are (1) the creation of a computerized screening tool to help clinicians identify cognitive impairment through a more accessible and quick-and-easy screening process; (2) the delivery of computer-collected novel behavioral data, which may offer new insights and a new understanding of a patient's cognition; (3) an in-depth understanding of different stakeholders and the identification of their common user needs and desires within a complicated healthcare workflow system; and (4) the triangulation of multiple data collection methods such as ethnographical observations, interviews, focus group meetings, and quantitative data from a user survey in a real-world deployment study.

In recent years, the edges between reality and virtual reality have been further smudged as today’s software and hardware allows for wireless immersive experiences. In an attempt to solve locomotion as the last piece of the puzzle of perfecting immersive virtual realities, impossible spaces have been developed to support natural locomotion. This in-between subject study investigated the effects of the combination of climbing and free walking on immersion in an impossible space environment with 20 participants. Users tended to greatly underestimate the distance climbed (which contradicts a previous study), concentrate, lose track of time, describe their experience more positively and differently than the controls group. Signs of spatial, emotional, cognitive and tactical immersion were shown in aspects of concentration, time, feelings of freedom, narrative, presence, safety, mental stimulation and locomotion user strategies to name a few. Minimal cues may have been present while future studies might fully confirm and define the immersive potential of vertical locomotion in impossible spaces. / De senaste årens utveckling har fortsatt sudda ut kanterna mellan verklighet och virtuell verklighet då dagens teknik stödjer trådlösa immersiva verkligheter. I ett försök att lösa locomotion som det sista biten av pusslet för att göra virtuella verkligheter perfekta har s.k impossible spaces utvecklats för att stödja naturlig locomotion. Den här A/B-gruppsstudien undersökte effekter på immersion med kombinationen av naturlig och vertikal locomotion i en impossibel space miljö med 20 deltagare. Användare tenderade att grovt underskatta längden de klättrade (vilket motsäger en tidigare studie), koncentrera sig, tappa tidsuppfattningen, beskriva deras upplevelsen mer positivt och annorlunda än kontrollgruppen. Tecken på rumslig, emotionell, kognitiv och taktil immersion visade sig i form av koncentration, tid, känslor av frihet, narrativ, närvaro, säkerhet, mental stimulation och locomotion- användarstrategier för att nämna några. Minimala element kan ha uppnåtts medan framtida studies kan bekräfta och definiera den immersiva potentialen med vertikal locomotion i impossibel spaces till fullo.