Sex and age differences in "theory of mind" across 57 countries using the English version of the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test.

The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test (Eyes Test) is a widely used assessment of "theory of mind." The NIMH Research Domain Criteria recommends it as one of two tests for "understanding mental states." Previous studies have demonstrated an on-average female advantage on the Eyes Test. However, it is unknown whether this female advantage exists across the lifespan and across a large number of countries. Thus, we tested sex and age differences using the English version of the Eyes Test in adolescents and adults across 57 countries. We also tested for associations with sociodemographic and cognitive/personality factors. We leveraged one discovery dataset (N = 305,726) and three validation datasets (Ns = 642; 5,284; and 1,087). The results show that: i) there is a replicable on-average female advantage in performance on the Eyes Test; ii) performance increases through adolescence and shallowly declines across adulthood; iii) the on-average female advantage is evident across the lifespan; iv) there is a significant on-average female advantage in 36 out of 57 countries; v) there is a significant on-average female advantage on translated (non-English) versions of the Eyes Test in 12 out of 16 countries, as confirmed by a systematic review; vi) D-scores, or empathizing-systemizing, predict Eyes Test performance above and beyond sex differences; and vii) the female advantage is negatively linked to "prosperity" and "autonomy," and positively linked to "collectivism," as confirmed by exploratory country-level analyses. We conclude that the on-average female advantage on the Eyes Test is observed across ages and most countries

Designing for Different Users and Multiple Devices: a roadmap towards inclusive environments

Abstract. The Web can be understood as an ecosystem of interconnected technological resources organized by rules, strategies, organizational structures, and mainly people. Such ecosystem is improving the potential to access knowledge everywhere and at any time. However, for different reasons, this technological extension is not reaching everybody yet. Those without access to knowledge are mainly people with disabilities or living in underserved communities. Nevertheless, the extension of Web technologies to different types of devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, TV) and their connections have the potential to increase the solutions to reach people with different needs through different devices. For this reason, several research and industrial studies have been proposed to design interfaces for multiple devices considering differences among users. In this paper, we present results of a systematic review on literature to build a roadmap towards inclusive environments. Additionally, the study also suggests existing tools to support the design of accessible applications for multiple devices. A significant result of this review is the lack of studies addressing underserved communities

Towards accessible interactions with pervasive interfaces, based on human capabilities

We draw on the literature, established standards and practices, contemporary funded projects and ongoing proof-of-concept work to argue for accessibility advocates to capitalise on the current paradigm shift towards ubiquitous, distributed and collaborative information systems. We discuss the contemporary interaction trends and accessibility challenges that give rise to our proposal; describe and provide an argument for capability-based development over the current, more device- focused, approach and document ongoing proof-of-concept and funded development work in this area

My-world-in-my-tablet: An architecture for people with physical impairment

Mobile computing, coupled with advanced types of input interfaces, such as Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs), and smart spaces can improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. In this paper, we describe the architecture and the prototype of an assistive system, which allows users to express themselves and partially preserve their independence in controlling electrical devices at home. Even in absence of muscular functions, the proposed system would still allow the user some communication and control capabilities, by relying on non-invasive BCIs. Experiments show how the fully-software realization of the system guarantees effective use with BCIs. © 2013 Springer-Verlag

Requirements for the successful market adoption of adaptive user interfaces for accessibility

The concept of adaptive user interfaces is a promising solution for providing users with a wide range of individual needs with accessible technology. Developers only have to implement one generic solution to offer a multitude of individually optimised concrete user interfaces. Whereas a lot of technical functionalities and characteristics of adaptive user interfaces are already solved, there is still no widespread market adoption of adaptive UI technologies. This paper presents a collection of requirements for adaptive user interface systems that can enable widespread market adoption. Furthermore it identifies strategies and individual answers, how these requirements can be addressed and met in future systems building on the Prosperity4all approach. It gives a comparison of existing research solutions and how they compare with the stated requirements

User Control in Adaptive User Interfaces for Accessibility

Abstract. Adaptive user interfaces offer great potential for improving the accessibility of interactive systems. At the same time, adaptations can cause usability problems, including disorientation and the feeling of losing control. Adaptations are therefore often discussed in terms of costs and benefits for the users. However, design strategies to overcome the drawbacks of adaptations have received little attention in the literature. We have designed different adaptation patterns to increase the transparency and controllability of run time adaptations in our MyUI system. This paper presents an experimental user study to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of the proposed patterns in different cost-benefit situations and for different users. The patterns turn out to increase the transparency and controllability of adaptations during the interaction. They help users to optimize the subjective utility of the system’s adaptation behavior. Moreover, the results suggest that preference and acceptance of the different patterns depend on the cost-benefit condition