International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 25, 2025
Tamar Dublin, Oren Zuckerman
A three-meter walking meditation mat with visual signifiers and heater pads was tested in a qualitative study. Participants reported that visual signifiers often drew attention outward, causing dizziness and imbalance, while targeted heat on the feet helped focus attention inward, promoting bodily sensations, calmness, grounding, and reflection. The findings suggest targeted heat can help balance inward and outward attention during walking meditation.
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 19, 2023
A. Scott, Daniel Neumann, J. Niess et al.
Many people already perceive a degree of consciousness in currently available interactive technologies such as GPT-3, a voice chat bot, and a robot vacuum cleaner. A survey of 100 people explored their conceptualizations of consciousness and whether they perceive it in these technologies. Responses revealed dynamic tensions between denial and speculation, thinking and feeling, interaction and experience, control and independence, and rigidity and spontaneity. These tensions can inform future research into perceptions of machine consciousness and the challenges it represents for human-computer interaction, emphasizing the field's importance in an era of machine consciousness, whether real, perceived, or denied.
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 29, 2022
R. Feinberg, U. Lakshmi, M. Golino et al.
A two-phase mixed-methods study with 36 participants examined how a virtual reality environment can teach meditation skills to novices. In Phase I, 21 meditation novices, experts, and instructors provided affective and behavioral learner needs, leading to the design of ZenVR, an interactive system delivering an eight-lesson meditation curriculum. In Phase II, a 6-week longitudinal lab-based evaluation with 15 novice learners showed statistically significant improvements in mindfulness and self-reported meditation ability. Insights from a self-managed practice two weeks after the study ended revealed how technology can progressively support meditation skill development without fostering dependence.
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 27, 2022
Pinyao Liu, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Alexandra Kitson et al.
Flying dreams can evoke feelings of empowerment and self-transcendent experience, which benefit well-being, but such dreams are hard to induce intentionally. Virtual reality (VR) flying interfaces with more embodied self-motion cues better supported self-transcendent experience and empowerment than those with fewer cues. Design considerations derived include obscurity, extraordinary light, and a supportive setting. These findings contribute to guidelines for designing VR experiences that foster self-transcendence and empowerment, potentially applicable to improving mental well-being.
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 21, 2020
Mirjana Prpa, S. Alaoui, T. Schiphorst et al.
Interviews with five HCI/Design experts who use micro-phenomenology reveal how this qualitative method helps articulate users' nuanced, complex experiences beyond surface descriptions. The method, used in HCI/Design research since 2001, unfolds conditions for describing experience and provides value by developing vocabulary for multi-sensory experiences and uncovering embodied tacit knowledge. The findings highlight micro-phenomenology's role in articulating the experiences of both designers and participants, contributing to a deeper understanding of user experience in design contexts.