Lecture 7: Emotional Interaction

Lecture 7: Emotional Interaction

1. overview

   • expressive interface; reduce frustrating interfaces; emotions & UX
   • persuade ppl change attitude against technologies; emotional design models
   • models of emotion [emotional design models]; anthropomorphism [pros & cons]

2. emotions & UX

   • design interactive system; concern with how ppl feel & react when interact with technologies; user aspect; social robust; pple emotional

3. emotional interaction

   • affect by environment factor; emotionally attached to products; change human behaviour; reduce loneliness & improve wellbeing

4. expressive interface

   • provide reassuring feedback that can be both informative & fun
   • colour, icons, sounds, graphical elements & animations [make the 'look 7 feel' of interface appealing]
   • affect the usability of interface

5. friendly interfaces

   • Microsoft pioneered friendly interfaces for technophobes: "At home with Bob" software
   • 3D metaphores bbased on familiar places [eg: living rooms]
   • agents in the guise of pets were included to talk to users

6. frustrating interfaces

   • causes
     • application doesn't work / crashes; system doesn.t do what user want; not met user's expectations; not provide sufficient info; condemning error msg; patronizing interface appearance; need many steps to perform a task; make mistake earlier & need to start all over again
   • gimmicks
     • amusing to designer but not user [eg: click a URL link only to discover that it is still "under constrcution"]
   • error messages
     • "unexpectedly quit due to type 2 error"; error 404

7. persuasive technologies & behavioral change

   • interactive computing systems deliberately designed to change ppl's attitudes & behaviour [motivation, ability, triggers]
   • diversity of techniques now used to change what they do / think [po-up ads; warning msg; reminders; prompts; recommendations; nudging]

8. tracking devices

   • mobile apps designed to help ppl monitor & change their behaviour [eg: fitness, sleeping; weight]
   • can compare with online leader boards & charts, to show how they hv done in relation to their peers & friends
   • encourage reflection that in turn increase well-being & happiness

9. sustainable HCI

   • focus on designing interventions to help ppl reduce their energy consumption
   • effective technique is to provide householders with feedback on their consumption
   • simple infographics & emoticons are most powerful [encourage ppl to reflect & see what can change to reduce energy consumption]
   • peer pressure &social norms

10. anthropomorphism

    • atributing human-like qualities to inanimate objects [eg: cars, computer]
    • well known phenomenon in advertising [dancing butter, drinks, breakfast cereals]
    • much exploited in HCI [make UX more enjoyable, motivating, make ppl feel at ease, reduce anxiety]

11. evidence to support anthropomorphism

    • Reeves & Naas (1996) founds that computers that flatter & praise user > positive impact on them > user more willing to continue

12. critism of anthropomorphism

    • deceptive, make ppl feel anxious, inferior
    • study hv shown that personalized feedback is considered to be less honest & make users feeld less responsible for their actions

13. virtual characters

    • appear on screens [sales agents, characters in videogames, learning companions, wizards, pets, newsreaders]
    • provides a persona that is welcoming, has personality & make user feel involved with them
    • disadvantages
      • lead ppl into false sense of belief, enticing them to confide personal secrets with chatterbots; annoying & frustrating; may not be trustworthy

14. Rea the realtor

    • Rea showing user an apartment; human-like body; use gesture, non-verbal communication; sophisticated AI techniques used to enable this form of interaction

15. what makes virtual agent believable?

    • believability refers to the extent to which users come to believe an agent's intentions & personality
    • appearance [cartoon-like / realistic characters]
    • behaviour [gestures; exaggeration of facial expressions & gestures to show underlying emotions (animation industry)]

16. Don Norman's 3 levels of Design

    • 10 reflective [cognitive, intelectual level of thinking; watches over behavioural level & influence it; has no direct control / connection to visceral level]
    • 2) behavioural [level of most behaviour; behavioural level of thinking is controlled by reflective level but influence by visceral reactions (through this happens subconciously)]
    • 3) visceral [quick reactions & judgement of stimuli; incharge or our emotional reactions & inform behavioural level]

17. claims from model

    • emotional state chages how we think
      • frightened / angry > focus narrowly > body tensing muscles & sweating > less tolerant
      • happy > less focus > body relax > overlook minor prob & more creative