Dis/Immersion in Mindfulness Meditation with a Wandering Voice Assistant
Bonhee Ku, Tatsuya Itagaki, Katie Seaborn
arXiv Preprint Archive April 22, 2023 preprint
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | People who participated in guided meditation sessions |
| Intervention | fixed smart speaker |
| Duration | Two sessions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cs.mm Cs.sd Meditation-technology Human-computer-interaction cs.hc Audio-systems eess.as Mindfulness-innovation Smart-devices |
| Key findings | A wandering voice embodiment that changes location along the body during meditation can evoke simultaneous immersion and dis-immersion experiences. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation is a validated means of helping people manage stress. Voice-based virtual assistants (VAs) in smart speakers, smartphones, and smart environments can assist people in carrying out mindfulness meditation through guided experiences. However, the common fixed location embodiment of VAs makes it difficult to provide intuitive support. In this work, we explored the novel embodiment of a "wandering voice" that is co-located with the user and "moves" with the task. We developed a multi-speaker VA embedded in a yoga mat that changes location along the body according to the meditation experience. We conducted a qualitative user study in two sessions, comparing a typical fixed smart speaker to the wandering VA embodiment. Thick descriptions from interviews with twelve people revealed sometimes simultaneous experiences of immersion and dis-immersion. We offer design implications for "wandering voices" and a new paradigm for VA embodiment that may extend to guidance tasks in other contexts.