Social support, social capital and online community e-loyalty: an empirical study

Online communities, as an essential manifestation of online social relationships, sociality factors (including social support factors and social relationship factors, etc.) ought to facilitate the formation of community trust and community satisfaction. However, although the existing literature has explored the underlying mechanisms of online community trust and satisfaction formation, few studies implemented research from the integrated sociality perspectives. In this thesis, we integrate social capital theory and social support theory to consider social capital and social support as important antecedent social factors in forming community trust and community satisfaction, which influence users' trust and satisfaction in online communities. Community trust and satisfaction further promote community loyalty. Specifically, this thesis scrutinizes the influence of three levels of social support factors such as information support, emotional support, and human-computer network management support and three kinds of social capital such as structure, cognition, and relationship to online community trust and satisfaction. Based on the proposed research model, 430 online community users' survey data were collected through an empirical questionnaire and the research model was tested through the partial least squares structural equation model method. The results of the thesis suggest that social support factors, including information support, emotional support, and interpersonal network interaction support, and social capital factors including structural capital, relational capital, and cognitive capital significantly affect community users' loyalty not only directly but also indirectly through enhancing community users' trust and satisfaction. Thus, users' trust and satisfaction with the community are significant mediating variables.Nas comunidades online, como uma importante manifestação das relações sociais online, os fatores de socialidade (incluindo fatores de apoio social e fatores de relacionamento social) devem facilitar a formação de confiança e satisfação da comunidade. No entanto, embora a literatura existente tenha explorado os mecanismos subjacentes à formação da confiança e da satisfação da comunidade online, poucos estudos consideraram a perspectiva social de forma integrada. Nesta tese, integramos a teoria do capital social e a teoria do suporte social para considerar o capital social e o suporte social como importantes fatores sociais antecedentes na formação da confiança e satisfação da comunidade, que influenciam a confiança e a satisfação dos utilizadores em comunidades online. A confiança e a satisfação da comunidade promovem ainda mais a lealdade da comunidade. Especificamente, esta tese estuda a influência de três níveis de fatores de suporte social - suporte de informação, suporte emocional e suporte de gestão da relação homen-computador - e três tipos de capital social - estrutura, cognição e relacionamento - na confiança e satisfação da comunidade online. Com base no modelo de pesquisa proposto, 430 observações de utilizadores de comunidades online foram recolhidos através de um questionário. O modelo de pesquisa foi testado através de métodos de equação estruturais. Os resultados da tese relevam que fatores de suporte social, incluindo suporte de informação, suporte emocional e suporte de interação de rede interpessoal, e fatores de capital social, incluindo capital estrutural, capital relacional e capital cognitivo, afetam significativamente a lealdade dos utilizadores da comunidade, não apenas diretamente mas também indiretamente, aumentando a confiança e a satisfação dos utilizadores da comunidade; a confiança e a satisfação dos usuários com a comunidade são variáveis mediadoras importantes

Inclusive interaction design: bridging the gap between information visualization perception and color vision deficiency users

It’s becoming increasingly important to design for Inclusivity, meaning building products that are accessible to all type of users, namely color vision deficiency (CVD) deuteranope users. Along with that, we can say that Information Visualization plays a big role in the understanding of how ou world functions, since the amount of produced data (2.5 exabytes) is increasing every day. In this way, this project aims to bridge the gap between Information Visualization perception and color vision deficiency users, by exploring the effects that saturation as a variable, applied through an interaction design methodology approach, has on human visual perception. An interactive system was designe in order to explore the effects saturation had in both user’s perception. To perform the experiment, 12 trichromatic male participants were recruited and the selected graph’s colours were simulated into colours a CVD user would normally perceive. This experiment enabled to reach a range in which both trichromatic and CVD users perceive the information of a specific graph in an optimal way. Serving as a first assessment in potentially reaching a range that ensures the optimal visual perception of all types of Information Visualizations for both CVD an trichromatic users, this project intends to be used as a reference in future investigations, in order to improve the quality of life of users affected by this visual constraint

The role of the organisational context across the psychosis service pathway

Section A: Presented here, is a systematic review of literature detailing experiences of mental health professionals where the organisational context represented a challenged to their valued practice. A critical appraisal of the 11 included studies is discussed. The qualitative aspects of studies were synthesised using thematic synthesis. Four major analytic themes emerged. These include ‘Perceptions of organisation: An inability to think’, ‘A climate of stress and fear’, ‘Moral distress’, and ‘Self in relation to the organisation’. Implications for organisational unlearning include the need to promote and facilitate reflective spaces. Recommendations for future research include the need to understand the experiences of those considered to hold the most power in mental health contexts. Section B: Presented here, is a study exploring the processes used by psychologists, working across the ‘psychosis’ service pathway, to navigate the organisational context and enable the facilitation of meaningful therapeutic interventions (as perceived by them). Guided by a constructivist grounded theory methodology, the constructed model identifies eight interacting categories organised within three domains: ‘Navigating a complex system’, ‘Stepping into authority’, and ‘Influencing change’. Findings emphasise the importance of making spaces to enable connection and collaborative learning, facilitating a shared understanding, and a greater receptivity to psychological positions within these contexts. Implications for clinical practice are discussed

Paper Session II: Forensic Scene Documentation Using Mobile Technology

This paper outlines a framework for integrating forensic scene documentation with mobile technology. Currently there are no set standards for documenting a forensic scene. Nonetheless, there is a conceptual framework that forensic scientists and engineers use that includes note taking, scene sketches, photographs, video, and voice interview recordings. This conceptual framework will be the basis that a mobile forensic scene documentation software system is built on. A mobile software system for documenting a forensic scene may help in standardizing forensic scene documentation by regulating the data collection and documentation processes for various forensic disciplines

\u3ci\u3eOut of the Box\u3c/i\u3e: Bridging the Long-Distance Gap Between Consumer and Product in Online Experiences by Using AR to Facilitate a Deeper Connection Through Virtual Try-Ons

As consumers are more and more preferring online experiences to brick-and-mortar shopping, there is a growing need for new and creative marketing strategies that can overcome the physical distance between consumer and product. In this paper, I demonstrate how augmented reality can bridge that gap, allowing consumers to connect with a product in a way that is not possible through traditional online media forms such as images and video. To that end, this paper includes a detailed breakdown of the conception and creation of Out of the Box, an augmented-reality application developed to enable users to virtually interact with a ring by “trying on” a ring as well as by customizing the appearance of a ring in real time

Design revolutions: IASDR 2019 Conference Proceedings. Volume 3: People

In September 2019 Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University was honoured to host the bi-annual conference of the International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) under the unifying theme of DESIGN REVOLUTIONS. This was the first time the conference had been held in the UK. Through key research themes across nine conference tracks – Change, Learning, Living, Making, People, Technology, Thinking, Value and Voices – the conference opened up compelling, meaningful and radical dialogue of the role of design in addressing societal and organisational challenges. This Volume 3 includes papers from People track of the conference

Human experience in the natural and built environment : implications for research policy and practice

22nd IAPS conference. Edited book of abstracts. 427 pp. University of Strathclyde, Sheffield and West of Scotland Publication. ISBN: 978-0-94-764988-3

A conceptual affective design framework for the use of emotions in computer game design

The purpose of this strategy of inquiry is to understand how emotions influence gameplay and to review contemporary techniques to design for them in the aim of devising a model that brings current disparate parts of the game design process together. Emotions sit at the heart of a game player’s level of engagement. They are evoked across many of the components that facilitate gameplay including the interface, the player’s avatar, non-player characters and narrative. Understanding the role of emotion in creating truly immersive and believable environments is critical for game designers. After discussing a taxonomy of emotion, this paper will present a systematic literature review of designing for emotion in computer games. Following this, a conceptual framework for affective design is offered as a guide for the future of computer game design

Utilization of Social Media in Strengthening Communication in Long Distance Relationships

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of individuals, who have experienced long distance relationships, and utilize the instant access of communication through technology to strengthen and maintain their connection despite their geographical distances. Using a qualitative design, individuals between the ages of 20-30 were asked questions about their experience of utilizing social media and technology as a mode of communication to sustain their long distance relationship. The researcher analyzed the data by looking for codes and themes within the participant’s answers. The findings indicated that the participants found that social media and technology were beneficial in helping them sustain their communication and connection throughout their long distance relationship. The participants also expressed involvement in a long distance relationship entails sacrifices, but as a whole found that the benefits of their relationship outweighed the costs. The findings of this study demonstrate the need for future research within the area of social media and relationships