David M Cook

The Efficacy of Using Virtual Reality for Job Interviews and Its Effects on Mitigating Discrimination

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that has already found successful application in a variety of different fields, including simulation, training, education, and gaming. While VR technologies have been considered for use in recruitment practices, available research on the topic is limited. In all stages of the recruitment process, social categorization of job applicants based on ethnicity, skin color, and gender, as well as other forms of discrimination are contemporary issues. This study examined the efficacy of using virtual reality technology as part of job interview strategies and evaluated its potential to mitigate personal bias towards job applicants. The use of VR technology as a job interview concept has been shown to have a high rate of acceptance and initial barriers for first-time users are low. The method provides benefits for job applicants in terms of social equity and performance.

Haptic Alternatives for Mobile Device Authentication by Older Technology Users

Turing tests are used to secure the human interaction on the Internet. Tests such as CAPTCHA are based on visual or auditory recognition of symbols and are difficult to distinguish by elderly people. A study examining the consistency of a tactile feedback-based Turing test identified an alternative to mainstream tests. This approach examines the vibration-based sensitivity which is detectable through skin surfaces when used to touch the screen of a mobile device. The study concentrated on a range of rough, smooth, sticky and coarse textures as possible differentiators for swipe-based tactile authentication using mobile devices. This study examined the vibration-based touch screen capabilities of 30 elderly people over the age of 65. The results of this study showed that tactile differentiation can be a viable alternative for device and security authentication for Turing tests such as those used for CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA verification.