1,737 research outputs found

    Self-Control in Cyberspace: Applying Dual Systems Theory to a Review of Digital Self-Control Tools

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    Many people struggle to control their use of digital devices. However, our understanding of the design mechanisms that support user self-control remains limited. In this paper, we make two contributions to HCI research in this space: first, we analyse 367 apps and browser extensions from the Google Play, Chrome Web, and Apple App stores to identify common core design features and intervention strategies afforded by current tools for digital self-control. Second, we adapt and apply an integrative dual systems model of self-regulation as a framework for organising and evaluating the design features found. Our analysis aims to help the design of better tools in two ways: (i) by identifying how, through a well-established model of self-regulation, current tools overlap and differ in how they support self-control; and (ii) by using the model to reveal underexplored cognitive mechanisms that could aid the design of new tools.Comment: 11.5 pages (excl. references), 6 figures, 1 tabl

    Looking Up Information in Email: Feedback on Visit Durations Discourages Distractions

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    Data entry often involves looking up information from email. Task switching to email can be disruptive, and people can get distracted and forget to return to their primary task. In this paper, we investigate whether giving people feedback on how long they are away has any effect on the duration and number of their switches. An online experiment was conducted in which participants had to enter numeric codes into an online spreadsheet. They had to look up these codes in an email sent to their personal email upon starting the experiment. People who were shown how long they were away for made shorter switches, were faster to complete the task and made fewer data entry errors. This suggests feedback on switching duration may make people more aware of their switching behaviour, and assist users in maintaining focus on their main task

    Tools to Improve Interruption Management

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    Interruptions carry a high cost, especially to software developers. To prevent unnecessary interruptions, several technologies are being explored that can help manage the timing of interruptions, such as displaying the interruptibility of a worker to their peers. Relatively simple algorithms utilizing computer interaction data have been created and used successfully in the workplace, while technology using bio-metric emotion recognition to detect the interruptibility of a user is also being developed

    Patterns of multi-device use with the smartphone a video-ethnographic study of young adults’ multi-device use with smartphones in naturally occurring contexts

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    Using multiple devices at the same time is becoming increasingly common in the daily lives of users, be it for work or for leisure. This paper presents in situ qualitative and quantitative evidence of multi-device use from a dataset of over 200h of first-person and interview recordings (n = 41). We discuss three different ‘patterns’ of multi device use (work, leisure, mixed use) and illustrate the user experience in detail with three participant journeys. We find that the smartphone was always ‘in the mix’; we did not observe multi-device use without the smartphone, or isolated use of other devices. Overall, we suggest that looking at transitions between activities users engage in rather than devices they use is more effective to understand multi-device use. Based on this analysis, we highlight issues around the patterns and experiences of multi-device use in everyday life and provide recommendations for design and further research

    Intentions behind the use of social network sites and its association with peronality, job performance and psychological well-being of employees in China and Pakistan : qualitative and quantitative approaches

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    Social networking sites (SNSs) are becoming our focus of attention to fulfill our basic need to associate and communicate with other beings. During the last few years, there has been a drastic increase in SNSs users and statistics represent a huge number of people and even workers who log in to SNSs at least once during their office hours. Many studies have explored the SNSs use in students, but limited literature is available that studied employees’ use of SNSs during their working hours. The present study is divided into three phases: scale development, survey, and a quasi-experiment. The first phase was scale development, in which we focused on developing a scale to measure employees’ attitude towards use of social network sites specifically intention behind the use of SNSs. Focus groups were conducted to gather the information related to employee intention to use social network sites during office hours. Based on the focus group findings, themes were generated. A scale to measure the attitudes of employees’ toward use of SNSs, specifically intentions behind the use of SNSs, was developed from two countries: China and Pakistan. Psychometric properties of the scale were established by explanatory factor analysis. In the second phase, we conducted a survey study in China and Pakistan respectively. In the surveys, we investigate the relationship among personality traits, use of social network sites and how it affects the psychological well-being and employee’s job performance. The data was collected from employees in China (n=380) and Pakistan (n=450). SEM was used to analyze the data and the results revealed positive relations between employees’ use of social network sites and performance and also showed some differences between the two country samples. In the third phase, an experimental study was conducted, in which the main focus was to decrease self-interruptions caused by SNSs among employees during office hours. To conduct the experiment, a quasi-experimental design was used to mitigate the effect of interruptions by using a mindfulness intervention. In the experiment, control and experimental groups were recruited. The results showed significant decreases in interruption and increases in mindfulness level in the experimental group. Findings from the present research would add to existing literature and bridge the gap of knowledge by highlighting employees’ attitudes towards SNSs use, specifically intentions behind the use of SNSs, during office hours. This thesis has also provided recommendations to help employers enhance their employees’ job performance through policies and training that support overall well-being while managing SNS use at work

    Less is Not Always More: Investigating the Impact of Goal Difficulty and Immediacy of Social Media

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    Social media overuse is becoming prevalent across the globe, hurting users’ mental health and productivity. To reduce social media usage and improve productivity, many users turn to social media blockers that rely on users to specify a social media reduction goal. However, as there is no empirical evidence and guidance on how users should choose the goal optimally, the user-chosen goals may not produce the intended benefits. In this study, we introduce two new dimensions of social media reduction goals — goal difficulty and goal immediacy. We found that the relationship between goal difficulty and productivity is of an inverted-U shape. In addition, the effect of goal difficulty further depends on the prior social media consumption level. We also found that changing goal immediacy from radical to incremental significantly improves the performance of relatively difficult goals, especially for users with higher prior social media consumption levels. Practical implications are discussed

    Combatting digital addiction: Current approaches and future directions

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    In recent years, the notion of digital addiction has become popular. Calls for solutions to combat it, especially in adolescents, are on the rise. Whilst there remains debate on the status of this phenomenon as a diagnosable mental health condition; there is a need for prevention and intervention approaches that encourage individuals to have more control over their digital usage. This narrative review examines digital addiction countermeasures proposed in the last ten years. By countermeasures, we mean strategies and techniques for prevention, harm reduction, and intervention towards addictive digital behaviours. We include studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2021 and based on empirical evidence. In total, 87 studies were included in the review. The findings show that the main countermeasures could be grouped under four categories: psycho-social, software mediated, pharmacological, and combined. Overall, it has been shown that the proposed countermeasures were effective in reducing addictive digital use. However, a general statement on the efficacy of proposed countermeasures cannot be made due to inconsistent conceptualisation of digital addiction and methodological weaknesses. Accordingly, this review highlights issues that need to be addressed in future studies

    Patterns of multi-device use with the smartphone. A video-ethnographic study of young adults’ multi-device use with smartphones in naturally occurring contexts

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    Using multiple devices at the same time is becoming increasingly common in the daily lives of users, be it for work or for leisure. This paper presents in situ qualitative and quantitative evidence of multi-device use from a dataset of over 200h of first-person and interview recordings (n = 41). We discuss three different ‘patterns’ of multi device use (work, leisure, mixed use) and illustrate the user experience in detail with three participant journeys. We find that the smartphone was always ‘in the mix’; we did not observe multi-device use without the smartphone, or isolated use of other devices. Overall, we suggest that looking at transitions between activities users engage in rather than devices they use is more effective to understand multi-device use. Based on this analysis, we highlight issues around the patterns and experiences of multi-device use in everyday life and provide recommendations for design and further research

    A Phenomenological Study of Teachers\u27 Lived Experiences with Cell Phones in the Classroom

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    The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover high school teachers\u27 experiences with cell phones in the classrooms during instructional time at Quaker High School. The theory guiding this study is Jean Piaget\u27s constructivism theory, as it argues that knowledge is produced, and meaning is formed through the experiences of one\u27s physical or mental actions in their environment. The methodology for this dissertation includes a study design that utilizes a phenomenological study method and consists of thirteen teachers from various backgrounds and locations. The setting for the study is a high school in Pittsburgh, PA. The data collection and analysis approach includes semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and document analysis. The data were analyzed using coding methods consisting of initial coding and NVivo coding practices. The data were searched for patterns, insights, or concepts. The approaches high school teachers use for instructing students with cell phones during teaching periods were the focus of this dissertation. Notably, the findings illuminate how cell phone usage in classrooms impacts the scope of teachers\u27 autonomy in regulating such use and how it changes instructional methods. The research contributes to understanding how high school teachers navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by cell phones during instructional time
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