40 research outputs found

    Who wants to cooperate-and why? Attitude and perception of crowd workers in online labor markets

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    Existing literature and studies predominantly focus on how crowdsource workers individually complete tasks and projects. Our study examines crowdsource workers' willingness to work collaboratively. We report results from a survey of 122 workers on a leading online labor platform (Upwork) to examine crowd workers' behavioral preferences for collaboration and explore several antecedents of cooperative behaviors. We then test if actual cooperative behavior matches with workers' behavioral preferences through an incentivized social dilemma experiment. We find that respondents cooperate at a higher rate (85%) than reported in previous comparable studies (between 50-75%). This high rate of cooperation is likely explained by an ingroup bias. Using a sequential mediation model we demonstrate the importance of a sense of shared expectations and accountability for cooperation. We contribute to a better understanding of the potential for collaborative work in crowdsourcing by accessing if and what social factors and collective culture exist among crowd workers. We discuss the implications of our results for platform designers by highlighting the importance of platform features that promote shared expectations and improve accountability. Overall, contrary to existing literature and predictions, our results suggest that crowd workers display traits that are more consistent with belonging to a coherent group with a shared collective culture, rather than being anonymous actors in a transaction-based market

    Desenvolvimento e Validação de um sistema IVR na área da saúde

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    Tese de mestrado, Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2021A doença de Parkinson afeta 1% da população mundial e é o segundo distúrbio neurodegenerativo mais comum que afeta a mobilidade e autonomia dos doentes. Com o passar dos anos os pacientes que sofrem de Parkinson vão aumentando. Os pacientes com Parkinson têm uma redução do nível de dopamina provocado pela morte das células cerebrais. Ainda não existe uma cura para esta doença, mas utiliza-se a levodopa, que é um fármaco que neutraliza os efeitos da doença de Parkinson, isto é, diminui as complicações motoras, como por exemplo, flutuações motoras e discinesia. As flutuações motoras sentidas ao longo do dia pelos pacientes com Parkinson referem-se aos períodos entre o funcionamento normal sem qualquer complicação e o estado em que o paciente manifesta sintomas da doença de Parkinson, conhecida como discinesia. A discinesia consiste nos movimentos musculares excessivos e involuntários. Com o avanço da doença, os pacientes com Parkinson vão sentido flutuações motoras e discinesia provocada possivelmente pela reduzida resposta à levodopa, quando utilizada por um tempo prolongado. Os sintomas sentidos pelos pacientes oscilam ao longo do seu dia como tal, é crucial existir uma monitorização diária dos pacientes. A monitorização diária é necessária para que o médico consiga ter detalhes sobre as flutuações motoras para poder fazer um ajuste apropriado na quantidade de medicamento. A informação detalhada acerca dos sintomas sentidos pelos pacientes é recolhida através de consultas presenciais ou através de preenchimento de diários em papel. As consultas presenciais não apresentam os sintomas sentidos com a maior precisão uma vez que, os mesmos foram sentidos há vários dias. Um exemplo de um diário de monitorização de flutuações motoras utilizado são os diários de Hauser que são preenchidos autonomamente pelos pacientes de trinta em trinta minutos. Os diários são apresentados ao médico unicamente na consulta com o mesmo. O método escolhido atualmente para estimar o tempo entre “on” e “off” é através dos diários de Hauser. O diário de Hauser apesar de ser o mais utilizado apresenta algumas limitações a nível da qualidade da informação coletada uma vez que se baseiam na memória do paciente e na adesão ao preenchimento dos diários por parte dos pacientes. O efeito da medicação através deste método não é acompanhado em tempo real pelos médicos dado que, os diários são apresentados unicamente quando o paciente tem uma consulta com o seu médico. Uma vez que, as consultas podem estar bastante desfasadas uma das outras dificultam o médico analisar o avanço da doença e alterar a medicação o mais breve possível. O nosso principal objetivo foi criar um método alternativo de recolha de dados de escalas clínicas em ambiente de free-living, ou seja, em casa, em ambiente não-controlado. Com o intuito de obter feedback acerca da acessibilidade, satisfação e usabilidade deste método, recolhemos como caso de estudo dados acerca de sintomas sentidos pelos pacientes com Parkinson ao longo do seu dia. Nesta dissertação explorámos a aplicabilidade de um sistema de voz interativa para a recolha de informação sobre a evolução dos sintomas da doença de Parkinson. Para tal, implementámos um sistema de resposta de voz interativa (IVR) – GentelParkinson. Para a criação da plataforma GentelParkinson utilizámos a plataforma Generic Telephony – GenTel – que é uma aplicação Python pré-existente que reúne todas as funcionalidades necessárias para executar uma plataforma telefónica. O GenTel também apresenta a interação com o servidor de comunicação em tempo real – FreeSWITCH e a síntese do texto em voz através da API Amazon Polly. A plataforma GentelParkinson recolhe os sintomas sentidos pelos pacientes ao longo do dia através de chamadas telefónicas programadas. Em cada chamada são pedidos dados referentes aos estados sentidos na última hora. Cada dado pedido permite a escolha de uma opção possível, guardando a mesma e registando a hora e data exata em que os dados foram inseridos. Através dos diários de Hauser em papel, é comum haver um preenchimento tardio (ex; ao fim do dia), tornando os dados menos precisos. Através do sistema IVR, caso o paciente falhe várias chamadas, só lhe serão pedidos os dados referentes às últimas duas horas, dois dados no total, não permitindo o preenchimento de todos os sintomas sentidos ao fim do dia. Através do sistema IVR o médico terá acesso aos sintomas sentidos pelos pacientes em tempo real, acompanhado a evolução da doença de uma forma mais precisa e observando se existem alertas criados por parte dos seus pacientes através da plataforma GentelDoc, por nós desenvolvida. GentelDoc é uma plataforma web onde os médicos podem acompanhar os seus pacientes e agendar chamadas automáticas para os mesmos. Para avaliar a aplicabilidade desta abordagem de recolha de dados, realizámos um estudo prospetivo com seis neurologistas, que usaram o sistema, colocando-se por 2 dias no papel dos seus pacientes com Parkinson. Receberam chamadas durante 6 horas seguidas em dois dias consecutivos. Após testarem a plataforma, os médicos responderam a dois questionários, onde foi recolhida a sua opinião acerca da usabilidade e aceitabilidade desta abordagem. Por fim, recolhemos a opinião mais detalhada acerca da plataforma e aplicabilidade da mesma com pacientes com Parkinson através de uma entrevista semiestruturada. Com este estudo observamos que o sistema implementado teve uma grande aceitação perante os médicos. Também se constatou que o sistema é usável e de fácil acesso para os pacientes com Parkinson. Os médicos conseguiram utilizar o sistema com facilidade, atendendo as chamadas do GentelParkinson ou retribuindo chamadas para o mesmo. Uma vez que, a utilização do GentelParkinson pode ser em qualquer telefone que consiga receber e efetuar chamadas, tem um grande potencial em recolher dados.Parkinson's disease affects 1% of the world population and is the second neurodegenerative disease that affects patients' mobility and autonomy. There is still no cure for this disease, but levodopa is used, which is a drug that neutralizes the effects of Parkinson's disease, it reduces motor complications, such as motor fluctuations and dyskinesia. Motor fluctuations experienced throughout the day by patients with Parkinson's refer to the periods between normal functioning without any complications and the state in which the patient manifests symptoms of Parkinson's disease, known as dyskinesia. Dyskinesia consists of excessive and involuntary muscle movements. The symptoms experienced by patients fluctuate throughout their day, so it is crucial to have daily monitoring of patients. Daily monitoring is necessary so that the doctor can have details about motor fluctuations in order to make an appropriate adjustment in the amount of medication. Detailed information about the symptoms experienced by patients is collected through face-to-face consultations or by filling in a paper diary - Hauser's diary. The method most used today to estimate the time between "on" and "off" is through Hauser's diaries. The evolution through this method is not done in real time since the diaries are only presented when the patient has an appointment with his doctor. In order to solve the problem of getting the details of patients' disease over time, we implemented an interactive voice response system (IVR) - GentelParkinson. Through GentelParkinson, we collect the symptoms experienced by patients throughout the day through scheduled telephone calls every 1 hour. Our main objective was to create an alternative method of collecting data from clinical scales in a free-living environment. In order to collect feedback about the accessibility, satisfaction and usability of this method, we collected as a case study data about symptoms experienced by patients with Parkinson's throughout their day. With this study we observed that the implemented system had a great acceptance before the doctors and patients with Parkinson's. It was also found that the system is usable and easily accessible for patients with Parkinson's. Doctors were able to use the system with ease, taking calls from the GentelParkinson or returning calls to the same

    Coming to America: Iranians' use of Telegram for immigration information seeking

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    Purpose This study examines Iran-US migrants' use of the most popular messaging application in Iran—Telegram—and shows how they use it to manage their migration information practices. Design/methodology/approach This study took a qualitative observation approach. Over the course of six months, over 80 h of observations were conducted on Iran-US migration-related settings within Telegram. Findings This work identifies the information practices that emerge as users seek and share information related to Iran-US migration. Telegram plays a vital role across the immigration stages, predominantly in the pre-migration stage. This work also shows how the constraints and features of Telegram influence users' information sharing and seeking practices. Practical implications The findings support the implication that a social media platform that provides multiple ways to interact is likely to better support niche or unanticipated uses. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to explore Iranian Immigrants information practices in the US. The immigration information practices observed during this study represent a valuable example of end-user appropriation within extraordinary constraints, which may be of use in other information-seeking contexts where dedicated or bespoke tools are impractical or ill-advised

    Homes for Life & Other Stories The Use and Evaluation of Design Fiction as a Means to Understand Sensitive Settings: a Case Study of Exploring Technologies for Dementia Care

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    Design fictions are used in HCI to position emerging technologies in fictional future worlds, through which the complexities of our relationships with technologies can be represented, explored and experienced. They promise to stimulate discussions about sensitive topics, such as the future of technology-enabled care, a complex area with contrasting emotional, social and practical views and wishes. However, the term design fiction is currently associated with a wide range of uses, and artefacts. It is also linked to contrasting philosophies and frameworks, which are often not made explicit, as I show in an initial survey with practitioners. This makes it difficult to identify what makes a design fiction good or effective for different purposes. This thesis aims to answer the research question: How can design fiction be used and evaluated in understanding sensitive settings? I turn to the Constructive Design Research framework and adapt it to classify how design fiction is used in HCI. I outline how design fiction can be used in the showroom approach, where it is most commonly placed, but also how it can be used as a lab and field approach to gather insights into the responses to design fictions. I developed design fictions and explored how they can be used to further discussions around the use of monitoring technologies in dementia care: an area challenging to research because of ethical issues associated with deployment studies of prototype technologies. The contribution of this thesis is threefold: first, a methodological contribution into the use of design fiction in HCI and an evaluation of the Constructive Design Research framework as a means to classify research through design fiction. Second, insights into participants’ views and wishes about technology-led care in regards to dementia. Third, a design contribution of artefacts that can be used to stimulate further debate around the topic

    Leveraging the Proteus Effect to Motivate Emotional Support in a Serious Game for Mental Health

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    Researchers have explored how online communities can be leveraged for peer support, but general disinterest and a lack of engagement have emerged as substantial barriers to their use in practice. To address this gap, we designed Merlynne using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and games user research, a serious game that motivates individuals to become peer supporters using the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques, through play. We conducted a mixed-methods, exploratory study to evaluate Merlynne’s design and specifically studied the Proteus Effect, hypothesizing that players using a stereotypically helpful avatar would have higher usage rates and a higher change in helping attitudes scores than players using a stereotypically unhelpful avatar. Merlynne had high engagement evidenced by usage rates and meaningful participant responses, and serious game techniques were used as effective cues for motivation. Emerging themes from thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews were supported with usage data and survey responses. We also found that avatar appearance influenced player-avatar connectedness and engagement through the frequency of empathy expressed in solutions. In reflecting on our findings, we discuss design challenges such as Ludonarrative dissonance, designing for emotional fatigue, and players’ overconfidence, and present design considerations such as using avatars to promote empathy for those seeking to motivate participation in mental health support and the use of serious game techniques to encourage participation in health interventions

    The value of experience-centred design approaches in dementia research contexts

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    Experience-Centred Design (ECD) has been applied in numerous HCI projects to call attention to the particular and dialogical nature of people's experiences with technology. In this paper, we report on ECD within the context of publicly-funded, long-stay residential dementia care, where the approach helped to highlight aspects of participants' felt experience, and informed sensitive and meaningful design responses. This study contributes an extended understanding of the quality of experience and the means of making sense in dementia, as well as unpicking the potential of ECD to support enriched experience and contextual meaning-making for people with dementia. Finally, we delineate what it is about Experience-Centred Design that differentiates the approach from other often-used approaches in designing in dementia contexts: 1) explorative thinking, 2) working within 'cuttings-out of time and space', 3) careful yet expressive methodology and documentation, and 4) working together to imagine futures. We end with considerations of how the contributions of this research may extend to other experience-centred projects in challenging settings

    Human-powered smartphone assistance for blind people

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    Mobile devices are fundamental tools for inclusion and independence. Yet, there are still many open research issues in smartphone accessibility for blind people (Grussenmeyer and Folmer 2017). Currently, learning how to use a smartphone is non-trivial, especially when we consider that the need to learn new apps and accommodate to updates never ceases. When first transitioning from a basic feature-phone, people have to adapt to new paradigms of interaction. Where feature phones had a finite set of applications and functions, users can extend the possible functions and uses of a smartphone by installing new 3rd party applications. Moreover, the interconnectivity of these applications means that users can explore a seemingly endless set of workflows across applications. To that end, the fragmented nature of development on these devices results in users needing to create different mental models for each application. These characteristics make smartphone adoption a demanding task, as we found from our eight-week longitudinal study on smartphone adoption by blind people. We conducted multiple studies to characterize the smartphone challenges that blind people face, and found people often require synchronous, co-located assistance from family, peers, friends, and even strangers to overcome the different barriers they face. However, help is not always available, especially when we consider the disparity in each barrier, individual support network and current location. In this dissertation we investigated if and how in-context human-powered solutions can be leveraged to improve current smartphone accessibility and ease of use. Building on a comprehensive knowledge of the smartphone challenges faced and coping mechanisms employed by blind people, we explored how human-powered assistive technologies can facilitate use. The thesis of this dissertation is: Human-powered smartphone assistance by non-experts is effective and impacts perceptions of self-efficacy
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