Saraswathi Bellur

Theoretical Importance of Contingency in Human-Computer Interaction: Effects of Message Interactivity on User Engagement

A critical determinant of message interactivity is the presence of contingency, that is, the messages we receive are contingent upon the messages we send, leading to a threaded loop of interdependent messages. While this “conversational ideal” is easily achieved in face-to-face and computer-mediated communications (CMC), imbuing contingency in human-computer interaction (HCI) is a challenge. We propose two interface features—interaction history and synchronous chat—for increasing perceptions of contingency, and therefore user engagement. We test it with a five-condition, between-participants experiment (N = 110) on a movie search site. Data suggest that interaction history can indeed heighten perceptions of contingency and dialogue, but is perceived as less interactive than chatting. However, the chat function does not appreciably increase perceived contingency or user engagement, both of which are shown to mediate the effects of message interactivity on attitudes toward the site. Theoretical implications for interactivity research and practical implications for interaction design are discussed.

Make it our time

Data highlight the prevalence of multitasking both within and outside classroom.In-class multitasking was found to be negatively predictive of current college GPA.Multitasking during homework increases time spent studying outside class.Texting emerged as a dominant multitasking activity within and outside classroom.Implications for technology use, practices and policies in academia are discussed. Young adults, especially college students, are consistently engaging in multiple tasks simultaneously. They are texting, reading, and using social media while studying and attending class. While there are a variety of contexts and relationships likely influenced by this, the present research project examines the influence of media multitasking in the context of students in technology-saturated classrooms and how this is impacting learning and academic performance. A survey of college students examined the impact of technology-based multitasking behaviors both within and outside classrooms. Data demonstrate that those who multitask frequently in-class have lower current college GPAs. This relationship remained significant even after controlling for perceived multitasking efficacy and time spent studying outside of class. Texting emerged as a dominant activity both while attending class and while doing homework. Females seem to use technologies more for maintaining mediated interpersonal interactions and social connections. Males seem to use technology more for online information seeking and for consuming online videos. Those who reported multitasking while doing homework spent more time spent studying outside of class, thereby contributing to inefficient study habits. Implications for technology use, best practices and policies in academic settings are discussed.

Full Length ArticleMake it our time: In class multitaskers have lower academic performance

Data highlight the prevalence of multitasking both within and outside classroom.In-class multitasking was found to be negatively predictive of current college GPA.Multitasking during homework increases time spent studying outside class.Texting emerged as a dominant multitasking activity within and outside classroom.Implications for technology use, practices and policies in academia are discussed. Young adults, especially college students, are consistently engaging in multiple tasks simultaneously. They are texting, reading, and using social media while studying and attending class. While there are a variety of contexts and relationships likely influenced by this, the present research project examines the influence of media multitasking in the context of students in technology-saturated classrooms and how this is impacting learning and academic performance. A survey of college students examined the impact of technology-based multitasking behaviors both within and outside classrooms. Data demonstrate that those who multitask frequently in-class have lower current college GPAs. This relationship remained significant even after controlling for perceived multitasking efficacy and time spent studying outside of class. Texting emerged as a dominant activity both while attending class and while doing homework. Females seem to use technologies more for maintaining mediated interpersonal interactions and social connections. Males seem to use technology more for online information seeking and for consuming online videos. Those who reported multitasking while doing homework spent more time spent studying outside of class, thereby contributing to inefficient study habits. Implications for technology use, best practices and policies in academic settings are discussed.

Interactivity as self-expression: a field experiment with customization and blogging

A paradigmatic quality of interactive interfaces is that they allow users to express themselves, thereby converting message receivers into communication sources. We define this quality as Source Interactivity [26, 29], and test its effects on user experience with a field experiment (N=141) of a portal site featuring cosmetic customization, functional customization and blogging (active versus filter). In demonstrating the psychological influence of source-based interactivity on such outcomes as user engagement, sense of agency, sense of community, intrinsic motivation and attitudes toward the interface, we discuss how designers can use them for creating interactive tools for self-expression.

How Can We Tell When a Heuristic Has Been Used? Design and Analysis Strategies for Capturing the Operation of Heuristics

Communication research based on social cognition draws heavily from dual process models such as the heuristic-systematic model. Both heuristic and systematic processing are said to be aided by quick rules of thumb or mental shortcuts called heuristics. However, the operationalization of heuristics is quite problematic because their use in decision-making is not directly measured. Scholars claim the operation of specific heuristics in specific situations, based often on clever experimental evidence. We propose a methodological framework that calls for both manipulation and measurement of heuristics in order to offer more direct evidence of their operation. We first review different existing approaches in the literature for operationalizing heuristics. We then discuss our approach and describe the application of moderated mediation to analyze the resulting data. We conclude with a study idea and simulated data that illustrate how our proposed design and analysis framework could be applied in communication research.

Is it a sense of autonomy, control, or attachment? Exploring the effects of in-game customization on game enjoyment

The data shows the distinct role of autonomy, control and attachment in creating enjoyment.Consistent with self-determination theory, feelings of autonomy and control contribute to enjoyment.Attachment to the customized avatar contributes to enjoyment through immersion.In general, players perceive a sense of control through customizing avatars.The feelings of autonomy and control are more critical predictors of enjoyment than attachment. This study presents a model linking character customization and game enjoyment. Two separate studies using different types of customization (functional vs. aesthetic) were employed to test two competing mechanisms that explain the effects of customizing in-game characters: feelings of autonomy and control-rooted in self-determination theory-and perceived attachment to game characters. Additionally, this study investigated how these two divergent mechanisms influence game enjoyment through immersion-related experiences. The findings showed that the feelings of autonomy and control are consistently stronger explanations for enjoyment, regardless of customization type. The results suggest that similar to other entertainment media, games can appeal to individuals through the senses of autonomy, control, and attachment to a character; the first two prove more critical.

Clicking, Assessing, Immersing, and Sharing An Empirical Model of User Engagement with Interactive Media

This article explicates the concept of user engagement by synthesizing a disparate body of scholarship, and suggests a measurement and a structural model for empirically capturing the meaning and process of user engagement, specifically in the context of interactive media. A second-order confirmatory factor analysis of data from two experiments (N = 263) shows that four attributes—physical interaction, interface assessment, absorption, and digital outreach—together constitute a valid and reliable operationalization of the concept of user engagement. A structural equation model reveals that greater amount of physical interaction with the interface and a more positive assessment of the interface predict cognitive absorption with the content, which in turn is associated with greater behavioral intention to manage and socially distribute the content. In addition, predictive validity tests show that the four subscales are predictors of attitudinal and learning outcomes.

Beyond pointing and clicking: how do newer interaction modalities affect user engagement?

Modern interfaces offer users a wider range of interaction modalities beyond pointing and clicking, such as dragging, sliding, zooming, and flipping through images. But, do they offer any distinct psychological advantages? We address this question with an experiment (N = 128) testing the relative contributions made by six interaction modalities (zoom-inout, drag, slide, mouse-over, cover-flow and click-to-download) to user engagement with identical content. Data suggest that slide is better at aiding memory than the other modalities, whereas cover-flow and mouse-over generate more user actions. Mouse-over, click-to-download, and zoom-inout tend to foster more favorable attitudes among power users, whereas cover-flow and slide generate more positive attitudes among non-power users. Design implications are discussed.

Modality is the message: interactivity effects on perception and engagement

New media interfaces offer a wide variety of modalities for interacting with systems. While typing and clicking remain the staple of most interfaces, several other modalities have emerged in recent years, enabling users to perform a range of other actions, such as dragging, sliding, zooming-in/out, mousing-over and flipping through a revolving carousel of images (as in cover flow). While each modality offers a unique way of interacting with information, it is not clear whether it brings unique psychological advantages. Does a drag engender greater user engagement? Is the mouse-over likely to enhance users perceptual bandwidth? A scientific assessment of such effects is impossible with existing interfaces given the confounded nature of modality combinations and information provided by them. Therefore, we designed six Web interface prototypes with identical content, differing only in modality, for experimentally isolating the effects of each, using a between-subjects design. Ongoing data collection involves both physiological and psychological measures of perceptual bandwidth and engagement.

The Effects of “Friend” Characteristics on Evaluations of an Activist Group in a Social Networking Context

Research suggests that individuals use cues about the popularity of a cause or group to make judgments. This bandwagon phenomenon has found particular support in online contexts. However, perceptions regarding the group may also depend on the identity of those supporters. We employed a 2 × 2 × 2 experiment to test the effect of number of affiliates and affiliate race and age on feelings toward the group, its page, and intended support. Results suggest that feelings are not subject to a consistent bandwagon effect but rather are moderated by race, with White participants exhibiting more positive feelings when seeing a page with few Black affiliates or many White affiliates. This result contrasts with findings for age, which serves to moderate only intended page use.