International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 13, 2026
Tamar Dublin, Jonathan Giron, A. Grishko et al.
Deliberate regulation of diaphragmatic breathing can contribute to well-being. We present a targeted-heat wearable designed to direct attention inward during breathing practice. In a mixed-methods study, breathing was guided with a pulsing-heat or a screen-based app. We included physiological measures of heart-rate, HRV, and breathing pace; self-report questionnaires on interoception and...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 13, 2026
H. Moradi, Ignacio Avellino, Patrick Krauss et al.
As AI systems increasingly display human-like behavior, people often attribute consciousness to these machines, raising questions about anthropomorphism, ethics, and design. We report findings from an online survey (N=553), including academics from the formal sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and a heterogeneous group of other participants. Respondents evaluated perceptions of...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 13, 2026
Shuting Chang, Tianren Luo, Pengxiang Wang et al.
VR mindfulness meditation has been widely used for stress reduction and psychological rehabilitation owing to its immersion and controllability. However, the common static-body with visual-movement paradigm often disrupts the natural coordination between vision, vestibular sense, and proprioception, inducing sensory conflicts that hinder the stable onset and maintenance of state mindfulness....
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 13, 2026
Shruti Chandra, Devasena Pasupuleti, Gerardo Chavez Castaneda et al.
Most mental health conditions emerge during adolescence, making university years pivotal for intervention. Nearly 30% of students worldwide experience mental health difficulties, yet support remains constrained by stigma and limited resources. This work investigates how interactive technologies, integrated with a wearable heart-rate sensor, can enhance psychological and emotional well-being...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 13, 2026
Lucy McCarren, Ulrika Eriksson, Laura Ortiz Mengual et al.
Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly integrated into mental health and well-being technologies, yet little is known about how they are perceived by older adults or how they should be designed to meet later-life needs. Mindfulness technologies, often promoted as tools for healthy ageing, provide a useful context for exploring these questions. We conducted participatory workshops with...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 13, 2026
Xia-Ran Song, C. Claisse, Andrés Lucero
Considering that silence has long been intertwined with ritual and spiritual practice, we explore how digital technology might support silence thereby allowing space for reflection, attunement, and meaning-making. How does the Chinese aesthetic concept of liubai(留白,“empty space”) open up new ways of designing for noticing and reflection? In this paper, we present lived experiences of shared...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 25, 2025
Katrin Heimann, Minke Nouwens, Suneetha Saggurthi et al.
We examine how micro-phenomenology, a qualitative research method developed to attend to, articulate, and analyse lived experience in fine detail, can be employed to study the experience of using digital systems. Micro-phenomenological interviews unpack the specific experiences of interviewees in fine-grained detail and have previously been acknowledged as a potent tool for Human-Computer...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 25, 2025
L. Liu, Xi Lu, Pei-Chun Chiang et al.
Meditation and mind-body practices offer many benefits for both mental and physical well-being. Recently, social virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising platform to support well-being activities. While Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research has explored technologies for meditation, little is known about how users appropriate social VR for meditation, particularly group practice, and...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 25, 2025
Tamar Dublin, Oren Zuckerman
We present the walking meditation mat research, leveraging targeted heat to help meditators focus attention inward. The mat, measuring three meters in length, is designed with 10 visual signifiers and 10 corresponding heater pads arranged in a step-by-step pattern. Walking meditation is challenging, as it requires both inward and outward attention. In a qualitative study we studied the walking...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 25, 2025
Xiaran Song, Anqi Wang, Andrés Lucero
Technology has become deeply woven into the practices of faith communities who engage in shared prayer, online worship, or meditation. Despite a growing body of research on religious/spiritual practices, the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community has yet to fully investigate Techno-Spirituality, especially through a first-person approach. We explored prayer experiences to understand which...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 19, 2023
A. Scott, Daniel Neumann, J. Niess et al.
The prospect of machine consciousness cultivates controversy across media, academia, and industry. Assessing whether non-experts perceive technologies as conscious, and exploring the consequences of this perception, are yet unaddressed challenges in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). To address them, we surveyed 100 people, exploring their conceptualisations of consciousness and if and how they...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 19, 2023
Madhan Kumar Vasudevan, Shu Zhong, Jan Kučera et al.
As we constantly seek to improve and expand upon the capabilities of technology, we frequently wonder whether we use technology to its fullest extent. Studies indicate that increasing our awareness and mindfulness of our senses may lead to a journey of unexplored experiences. In this paper, we focus on the perception of mid-air haptics stimuli and whether it can be improved through mindfulness...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 29, 2022
M. Hoefer, Bryce E Schumacher, S. Voida
We present the research area of personal dream informatics: studying the self-information systems that support dream engagement and communication between the dreaming self and the wakeful self. Through a survey study of 281 individuals primarily recruited from an online community dedicated to dreaming, we develop a dream-information systems view of dreaming and dream tracking as a type of...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 29, 2022
R. Feinberg, U. Lakshmi, M. Golino et al.
Meditation has become a popular option to manage stress. Though studies examine technologies to assist in meditation, few explore how technology supports development of such skills for independent practice. From a two-phase mixed-methods study, we contribute learner-centered insights from 36 participants in a virtual reality environment designed to teach meditation skills to novices. In Phase...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 27, 2022
Pinyao Liu, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Alexandra Kitson et al.
Flying dreams have the potential to evoke a feeling of empowerment (or self-efficacy, confidence in our ability to succeed) and self-transcendent experience (STE), which have been shown to contribute to an individual’s overall well-being. However, these exceptional dreaming experiences remain difficult to induce at will. Inspired by the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) to support profound...
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 21, 2020
Mirjana Prpa, S. Alaoui, T. Schiphorst et al.
Third wave HCI initiated a slow transformation in the methods of UX research: from widely used quantitative approaches to more recently employed qualitative techniques. Articulating the nuances, complexity, and diversity of a user's experience beyond surface descriptions remains a challenge within design. One qualitative method micro-phenomenology has been used in HCI/Design research since...