Showing papers in "International Journal of Human-computer Studies \/ International Journal of Man-machine Studies in 2005"

An extension of trust and TAM model with TPB in the initial adoption of on-line tax: an empirical study

Abstract: While on-line tax is considered as a special type of e-service, the adoption rate of this service in Taiwan is still relatively low. The initial adoption of on-line tax is the important driving force to further influence the use and continued use of this service. The model of Trust and technology acceptance model (TAM) in Gefen et al. (2003a, MIS Quarterly 27(1), 51-90) has been well studied in on-line shopping and showed that understanding both the Internet technology and trust issue is important in determining behavioral intention to use. Besides, the diffusion of on-line tax could also be influenced by the potential antecedents such as individuals, organizational members, and social system while the issue for innovative technology is well discussed in Rogers (1995, The Diffusion of Innovation, fourth ed. Free Press, New York). Theory of planned behavior (TPB) is the model widely used to discuss the effect of these antecedents in behavioral intention. An extension of Trust and TAM model with TPB would be in more comprehensive manner to understand behavioral intention to use on-line tax. Furthermore, a large sample survey is used to empirically examine this framework.

PassPoints: design and longitudinal evaluation of a graphical password system

Abstract: Computer security depends largely on passwords to authenticate human users. However, users have difficulty remembering passwords over time if they choose a secure password, i.e. a password that is long and random. Therefore, they tend to choose short and insecure passwords. Graphical passwords, which consist of clicking on images rather than typing alphanumeric strings, may help to overcome the problem of creating secure and memorable passwords. In this paper we describe PassPoints, a new and more secure graphical password system. We report an empirical study comparing the use of PassPoints to alphanumeric passwords. Participants created and practiced either an alphanumeric or graphical password. The participants subsequently carried out three longitudinal trials to input their password over the course of 6 weeks. The results show that the graphical password users created a valid password with fewer difficulties than the alphanumeric users. However, the graphical users took longer and made more invalid password inputs than the alphanumeric users while practicing their passwords. In the longitudinal trials the two groups performed similarly on memory of their password, but the graphical group took more time to input a password.

The mechanics of trust: a framework for research and design

Abstract: With an increasing number of technologies supporting transactions over distance and replacing traditional forms of interaction, designing for trust in mediated interactions has become a key concern for researchers in human computer interaction (HCI). While much of this research focuses on increasing users' trust, we present a framework that shifts the perspective towards factors that support trustworthy behavior. In a second step, we analyze how the presence of these factors can be signalled. We argue that it is essential to take a systemic perspective for enabling well-placed trust and trustworthy behavior in the long term. For our analysis we draw on relevant research from sociology, economics, and psychology, as well as HCI. We identify contextual properties (motivation based on temporal, social, and institutional embeddedness) and the actor's intrinsic properties (ability, and motivation based on internalized norms and benevolence) that form the basis of trustworthy behavior. Our analysis provides a frame of reference for the design of studies on trust in technology-mediated interactions, as well as a guide for identifying trust requirements in design processes. We demonstrate the application of the framework in three scenarios: call centre interactions, B2C e-commerce, and voice-enabled on-line gaming.

Privacy practices of Internet users: self-reports versus observed behavior

Abstract: Several recent surveys conclude that people are concerned about privacy and consider it to be an important factor in their online decision making. This paper reports on a study in which (1) user concerns were analysed more deeply and (2) what users said was contrasted with what they did in an experimental e-commerce scenario. Eleven independent variables were shown to affect the online behavior of at least some groups of users. Most significant were trust marks present on web pages and the existence of a privacy policy, though users seldom consulted the policy when one existed. We also find that many users have inaccurate perceptions of their own knowledge about privacy technology and vulnerabilities, and that important user groups, like those similar to the Westin "privacy fundamentalists", do not appear to form a cohesive group for privacy-related decision making.In this study we adopt an experimental economic research paradigm, a method for examining user behavior which challenges the current emphasis on survey data. We discuss these issues and the implications of our results on user interpretation of trust marks and interaction design. Although broad policy implications are beyond the scope of this paper, we conclude by questioning the application of the ethical/legal doctrine of informed consent to online transactions in the light of the evidence that users frequently do not consult privacy policies.

Beyond binary choices: integrating individual and social creativity

Abstract: The power of the unaided individual mind is highly overrated. Although society often thinks of creative individuals as working in isolation, intelligence and creativity result in large part from interaction and collaboration with other individuals. Much human creativity is social, arising from activities that take place in a context in which interaction with other people and the artifacts that embody collective knowledge are essential contributors.This paper examines: (1) how individual and social creativity can be integrated by means of proper collaboration models and tools supporting distributed cognition; (2) how the creation of shareable externalizations ("boundary objects") and the adoption of evolutionary process models in the construction of meta-design environments can enhance creativity and support spontaneous design activities ("unselfconscious cultures of design"); and (3) how a new design competence is emerging one that requires passage from individual creative actions to synergetic activities, from the reflective practitioner to reflective communities and from given tasks to personally meaningful activities. The paper offers examples in the context of collaborative design and art practice, including urban planning, interactive art and open source. In the effort to draw a viable path "beyond binary choices", the paper points out some major challenges for the next generation of socio-technical environments to further increase the integration of individual and social creativity.

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Exploring the feasibility of graphical authentication systems

Abstract: The weakness of knowledge-based authentication systems, such as passwords and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), is well known, and reflects an uneasy compromise between security and human memory constraints. Research has been undertaken for some years now into the feasibility of graphical authentication mechanisms in the hope that these will provide a more secure and memorable alternative. The graphical approach substitutes the exact recall of alphanumeric codes with the recognition of previously learnt pictures, a skill at which humans are remarkably proficient. So far, little attention has been devoted to usability, and initial research has failed to conclusively establish significant memory improvement. This paper reports two user studies comparing several implementations of the graphical approach with PINs. Results demonstrate that pictures can be a solution to some problems relating to traditional knowledge-based authentication but that they are not a simple panacea, since a poor design can eliminate the picture superiority effect in memory. The paper concludes by discussing the potential of the graphical approach and providing guidelines for developers contemplating using these mechanisms.

How can computers be partners in the creative process: classification and commentary on the special issue

Abstract: The different ways that computers can be involed in creative work are examined. A classification based on four categories of human-computer interaction to promote creativity is proposed: computers may facilitate (a) the management of creative work, (b) communication between individuals collaborating on creative projects, (c) the use of creativity enhancement techniques, (d) the creative act through integrated human-computer cooperation during idea production. The papers in the Special Issue are discussed according to this classification. Issues to be considered in future work on human-computer interactions for promoting creativity are discussed.

Creativity or creativities

Abstract: Creativity is typically thought of in the singular -- as an attribute. But it may instead be multiple. This article investigates three respects in which there might be multiple creativities-- processes, domains, and styles. It considers different potential models for multiple creativities. It concludes by suggesting that the different respects in which creativity might be multiple are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

Developing creativity, motivation, and self-actualization with learning systems

Abstract: Developing learning experiences that facilitate self-actualization and creativity is among the most important goals of our society in preparation for the future. To facilitate deep understanding of a new concept, to facilitate learning, learners must have the opportunity to develop multiple and flexible perspectives. The process of becoming an expert involves failure, as well as the ability to understand failure and the motivation to move onward. Meta-cognitive awareness and personal strategies can play a role in developing an individual's ability to persevere through failure, and combat other diluting influences. Awareness and reflective technologies can be instrumental in developing a meta-cognitive ability to make conscious and unconscious decisions about engagement that will ultimately enhance learning, expertise, creativity, and self-actualization. This paper will review diverse perspectives from psychology, engineering, education, and computer science to present opportunities to enhance creativity, motivation, and self-actualization in learning systems.

Keeping ubiquitous computing to yourself: a practical model for user control of privacy

Abstract: As with all the major advances in information and communication technology, ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) introduces new risks to individual privacy. Our analysis of privacy protection in ubicomp has identified four layers through which users must navigate: the regulatory regime they are currently in, the type of ubicomp service required, the type of data being disclosed, and their personal privacy policy. We illustrate and compare the protection afforded by regulation and by some major models for user control of privacy. We identify the shortcomings of each and propose a model which allows user control of privacy levels in a ubicomp environment. Our model balances the user's privacy preferences against the applicable privacy regulations and incorporates five types of user controlled "noise" to protect location privacy by introducing ambiguities. We also incorporate an economics-based approach to assist users in balancing the trade-offs between giving up privacy and receiving ubicomp services. We conclude with a scenario and heuristic evaluation which suggests that regulation can have both positive and negative influences on privacy interfaces in ubicomp and that social translucence is an important heuristic for ubicomp privacy interface functionality.

The studio as laboratory: combining creative practice and digital technology research

Abstract: Creativity research is a large and varied field in which the subject is characterized on many different levels. The arrival of digital media and computational tools has opened up new possibilities for creative practice. The cutting edge in the digital arts is a highly fertile ground for the investigation of creativity and the role of new technologies. The demands of such work often reveal the limitations of existing technologies and open the door to developing new approaches and techniques. This provides the creativity researcher with opportunities to understand the multi-dimensional characteristics of the creative process. At the same time, it places new demands upon the creators of the technological solutions and pushes forward our understanding of the future requirements of creative technologies. This paper is concerned with the nature of creativity and the design of creativity enhancing computer systems. The research has multi-disciplinary foundations in human-computer interaction and creative practice in Art, Design, Science and Engineering. As a result of a series of studies of creative people and the associated developments in technology, a strategy for practice-based research has evolved in which research and practice are interdependent activities that have mutual benefits as well its distinctive outcomes. This paper charts the development of that co-evolutionary process from the foundation studies to recent outcomes of a major project in art and technology collaboration. The notion of the Studio as a laboratory in the field is introduced and a new methodology for systematic practice-based research is presented. From the results of the investigations that took place, opportunities for the development of technology environments for creative collaboration are proposed.

Interaction design of tools for fostering creativity in the early stages of information design

Abstract: This paper describes our approach for the design and development of application systems for early stages of information design tasks. We view a computational tool as something that provides materials with which a designer interacts to create a situation that talks back to the designer. The interaction design of a tool, that is, the representations a user can generate and how the user can manipulate them with the tool, influences a user's cognitive processes. The tool's interaction design thus either fosters or hinders creativity in the early stages of information design.Our approach toward the interaction design of a tool for fostering creativity is first to understand the nature of early stages of information design tasks. We discuss four issues in support of the early stages of design based on theories in design and in human-computer interaction: (1) that available means of externalizations influence designers in deciding which courses of actions to take: (2) that designers generate and interact with not only a partial representation of the final artefact but also various external representations: (3) that designers produce externalizations to express a solution as well as to interpret the situations: and (4) that a design task proceeds as a hermeneutic circle--that is. designers proceed with projected meanings of representations and gradually revise and confirm those meanings.The above theoretical account of early stages of information design tasks has led us to identify three interaction design principles for tools for the early stages of information design: interpretation-rich representations, representations with constant grounding and interaction methods for hands-on generation and manipulation of the representations.To illustrate our point, we take ART#001. a tool for the early stages of writing, to apply the interaction design principles and examine how the interaction design of the tool fosters creativity in the early stages of information design. The paper concludes with a discussion of how we generalize the approach and build a framework to design and develop application systems for fostering creativity in the early stages of information design.

Improving user-interface dependability through mitigation of human error

Abstract: Security may be compromised when humans make mistakes at the user interface. Cleartext is mistakenly sent to correspondents, sensitive files are left unprotected, and erroneously configured systems are left vulnerable to attackers. Such mistakes may be blamed on human error, but the regularity of human error suggests that mistakes may be preventable through better interface design. Certain user-interface constructs drive users toward error, while others facilitate success.Two security-sensitive user interfaces were evaluated in a laboratory user study: the Windows XP file-permissions interface and an alternative interface, called Salmon, designed in accordance with an error-avoiding principle to counteract the misleading constructs in the XP interface. The alternative interface was found to be more dependable; it increased successful task completion by up to 300%, reduced commission of a class of errors by up to 94%, and provided a nearly 3× speed-up in task completion time. Moreover, users spent less time searching for information with the alternative interface, and a greater proportion of time on essential task steps. An explanatory theory in its early stages of development is presented.

Towards supporting evocation processes in creative design: a cognitive approach

Abstract: In order to contribute to a better understanding of creativity in non-routine design activities, we conducted an experimental study that focused on a cognitive mechanism involved in creative design, that of the re-use of aspects derived from previous sources of inspiration. Our objective was to determine to what extent designers consider potential sources as useful for solving a specific design problem. Since the relevance of sources of inspiration may he appreciated differently according to the level of expertise in design, the experiment was performed with two groups of participants: experienced designers and inexperienced designers. The results show differences in the number and nature of the aspects selected by each group of designers as well as in the judgments of usefulness they expressed about the different types of suggested sources of inspiration. On this basis, we discuss how these findings may influence the design of a computational system supporting creative design tasks and we consider how to facilitate the progression from novices to experienced designers.

Evaluating a realistic agent in an advice-giving task

Abstract: The aim of this study was to empirically evaluate an embodied conversational agent called GRETA in an effort to answer two main questions: (1) What are the benefits (and costs) of presenting information via an animated agent, with certain characteristics, in a 'persuasion' task, compared to other forms of display? (2) How important is it that emotional expressions are added in a way that is consistent with the content of the message, in animated agents? To address these questions, a positively framed healthy eating message was created which was variously presented via GRETA, a matched human actor, GRETA's voice only (no face) or as text only. Furthermore, versions of GRETA were created which displayed additional emotional facial expressions in a way that was either consistent or inconsistent with the content of the message. Overall, it was found that although GRETA received significantly higher ratings for helpfulness and likability, presenting the message via GRETA led to the poorest memory performance among users. Importantly, however, when GRETA's additional emotional expressions were consistent with the content of the verbal message, the negative effect on memory performance disappeared. Overall, the findings point to the importance of achieving consistency in animated agents.

An empirical comparison of use-in-motion evaluation scenarios for mobile computing devices

Abstract: There is a clear need for evaluation methods that are specifically suited to mobile device evaluation, largely due to the vast differences between traditional desktop computing and mobile computing. One difference of particular interest that needs to be accounted for is that mobile computing devices are frequently used while the user is in motion, in contrast to desktop computing. This study aims to validate the appropriateness of two evaluation methods that vary in representativeness of mobility, one that uses a treadmill to simulate motion and another that uses a controlled walking scenario.The results lead to preliminary guidelines based on study objectives for researchers wishing to use more appropriate evaluation methodologies for empirical, data-driven mobile computing studies. The guidelines indicate that using a treadmill for mobile evaluation can yield representative performance measures,whereas a controlled walking scenario is more likely to adequately simulate the atual user experience.

Informing the design of computer-based environments to support creativity

Abstract: This paper addresses the problem of creating a human-centered computer-based support environment to facilitate innovation and creative work. It focuses on key factors to be considered in the design and development of any such user support environment regardless of the specific domain for which it may be implemented. The paper reviews psychological literature on how creativity, insight and innovation occur and how they can be fostered in working environments. Based on this discussion the paper then describes a generic set of user or functional requirements intended to apply or any domain-specific computer-based working environment for support of creative activities. The paper proposes the conceptual model of a Virtual Workbench as a way of capturing some of these requirements and as a way of organizing thinking about the design of creative problem solving environments (CPSEs) in general. Finally, the paper proposes one possible translation of the Virtual Workbench and some of the functional requirements into a view of a generic model for CPSEs by describing three component sets of functions that would be a subset of those needed in almost any domain-specific CPSE.

An empirical investigation of sources of application-specific computer-self-efficacy and mediators of the efficacy: performance relationship

Abstract: Integrating theory from research on training, computer self-efficacy (CSE), and motivation, this research validated a model of four factors that contribute to application-specific computer self-efficacy (AS-CSE) formation (previous experience, personality, learning goal orientation and computer anxiety) and three factors that mediate the relationship between AS-CSE and performance (goal level, goal commitment and performance goal orientation (PGO)). Using data from 313 individuals in an introductory computer skills course, the model was validated for database software. Results indicate that previous database software experience, trainee personality and learning goal orientation were positively related to AS-CSE, whereas computer anxiety was negatively related to AS-CSE. Additionally, goal level, goal commitment and PGOs were related to database test performance, and the relationship between AS-CSE and database test performance was also partially mediated by goal level and goal commitment. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The effects of task complexity and time availability limitations on human performance in database query tasks

Abstract: Prior research on human ability to write database queries has concentrated on the characteristics of query interfaces and the complexity of the query tasks. This paper reports the results of a laboratory experiment that investigated the relationship between task complexity and time availability, a characteristic of the task context not investigated in earlier database research, while controlling the query interface, data model, technology, and training. Contrary to expectations, when performance measures were adjusted by the time used to perform the task, time availability did not have any effects on task performance while task complexity had a strong influence on performance at all time availability levels. Finally, task complexity was found to be the main determinant of user confidence. The implications of these results for future research and practice are discussed.

Privacy in information technology: designing to enable privacy policy management in organizations

Abstract: As information technology continues to spread, we believe that there will be an increasing awareness of a fundamental need to address privacy concerns, and that doing so will require an understanding of policies that govern information use accompanied by development of technologies that can implement such policies. The research reported here describes our efforts to design a system which facilitates privacy policy authoring, implementation, and compliance monitoring. We employed a variety of user-centered design methods with 109 target users across the four steps of the research reported here. This case study highlights the work of identifying organizational privacy requirements, iteratively designing and validating a prototype with target users, and conducting laboratory tests to guide specific design decisions to meet the needs of providing flexible privacy enabling technologies. Each of the four steps in our work is identified and described, and directions for future work in privacy are suggested.

Age differences and the acquisition of spatial knowledge in a three-dimensional environment: evaluating the use of an overview map as a navigation aid

Abstract: This study examined age differences in the use of an electronic three-dimensional (3D) environment, and how the age differences were affected by the use of an overview map as a navigation aid. Task performance and the subjects' acquisition of configural knowledge of the 3D-environment were assessed. Impact of spatial ability and prior experience on these measurements were also investigated. One group of older subjects (n = 24) and one group of younger subjects (n = 24) participated. An overall hypothesis for the work presented here was that differences in learning to and performing navigational tasks in the physical world are similar in learning and performing navigational tasks in the virtual world. The results showed that the older participants needed more time to solve the tasks; and similar to navigation in the physical world, the older participants were less likely to create configural knowledge. It could not be established that older participants benefited more from an overview map as cognitive support than younger subjects, except in the subjective sense: the older users felt more secure when the map was there. The map seemed to have supported the older users in creating a feeling of where objects were located within the environment, but it did not make them more efficient. The results have implications for design; in particular, it brings up the difficult issue of balancing design goals such as efficiency in terms of time and functionality, against maintaining a sense of direction and location in navigational situations.

GAS ontology: an ontology for collaboration among ubiquitous computing devices

Abstract: Walker and Smelcer (Proceedings of the CHI 90, ACM, New York, 1990, pp. 221-225) found that menus could be selected faster if they were placed against the edge of the screen. Doing so creates an impenetrable border between the menu and the edge of the screen that the mouse cursor cannot penetrate. This changes how users move the mouse, so that selection times quicken compared to menus with a penetrable border. Experiment 1 investigated the effect that practice has on the acquisition of objects with and without impenetrable borders. The findings suggest that excessive practice was not necessary to demonstrate border type differences; thus, the advantage of having impenetrable borders seems to be relatively instantaneous. However, it was not readily apparent whether or not participants would realize the advantages of impenetrable borders without instruction. Thus, the primary purpose of Experiment 2 was to assess whether or not users would discover the benefits of impenetrable borders spontaneously. Participants were assigned to either the penetrable or impenetrable border condition. Additionally, participants received either full instruction concerning the benefits of the target placement, or limited instruction that simply informed the participant about the nature of the task. The results demonstrated that participants receiving limited instruction selected targets with impenetrable borders faster than participants who selected objects with a penetrable border. However, an exploratory comparison suggests that only 50% of participants who received limited instruction actually detected the impenetrable border. An additional comparison suggests that with practice the participants who were successful at detecting the impenetrable border selected the targets as quickly as participants who received full instruction concerning the benefits of impenetrable borders. The findings suggest that with full instruction, all users will perform reduced selection times. Given that not all participants discovered the impenetrable border it suggests that, whenever possible, users should receive instruction pertaining to the benefits of the impenetrable borders.

The emergence of the contextual role of the e-book in cognitive processes through an ecological and functional analysis

Abstract: An electronic book is a new means of presenting text, allowing downloading of documents and multiple readings on a portable computer. On the basis of an ecological and functional analysis of paper and electronic books with the Abstraction Hierarchy method, we tested the ability of a mobile e-book device to be an external memory trigger, assisting the recall of information content through its presence as a contextual index. In contrast to the classical experimental approach for research on reading and comprehension, we consider screen and paper as relevant cognitive tools per se. Specifically, we compare a book on a pocket computer and a paper book. Hypothesising that the physical reading support could serve as a contextual cue for memory, we experimented with groups of participants who could or could not see the support during recall. We measured the reading time, and the material later recalled was classified according to its cognitive nature. After recall, participants had to assess the sensory-motor properties of the reading support with the Osgood semantic differential and to note the humour level of the text. Results show that the e-book presence hinders recall of assimilated information whilst the presence of the paper support tends to facilitate it. Finally, we observed some correlation between sensory-motor assessment of the support and certain aspects of text cognitive processing: humour scoring, reading time and recall performance. These results lead us to conclude there is a critical relation between the sensory-motor experience of the support and the cognitive processing of the text content. This relationship might explain the positive or negative contextual effect of the support on recall performance.

An evaluation of integrated zooming and scrolling on small screens

Abstract: Speed-dependent automatic zooming (SDAZ) has been proposed for standard desktop displays as a means of overcoming problems associated with the navigation of large information spaces. SDAZ combines zooming and panning facilities into a single operation, with the magnitude of both factors dependent on simple user interaction. Previous research indicated dramatic user performance improvements when using the technique for document and map navigation tasks. In this paper, we propose algorithmic extensions to the technique for application on small-screen devices and present a comparative experimental evaluation of user performance with the system and a normative scroll–zoom–pan interface. Users responded positively to the system, particularly in relation to reduced physical navigational workload. However, the reduced screen space reduced the impact of SDAZ in comparison to that reported in previous studies. In fact, for one-dimensional navigation (vertical document navigation) the normative interface out-performed SDAZ. For navigation in two dimensions (map browsing) SDAZ supports more accurate target location, and also produces longer task completion times. Some SDAZ users became lost within the information space and were unable to recover navigational context. We discuss the reasons for these observations and suggest ways in which limitations of SDAZ in the small-screen context may be overcome.

Bridging the gap between organizational and user perspectives of security in the clinical domain

Abstract: An understanding of 'communities of practice' can help to make sense of existing security and privacy issues within organizations; the same understanding can be used proactively to help bridge the gap between organizational and end-user perspectives on these matters. Findings from two studies within the health domain reveal contrasting perspectives on the 'enemy within' approach to organizational security. Ethnographic evaluations involving in-depth interviews, focus groups and observations with 93 participants (clinical staff, managers, library staff and IT department members) were conducted in two hospitals. All of the data was analysed using the social science methodology 'grounded theory'. In one hospital, a community and user-centred approach to the development of an organizational privacy and security application produced a new communication medium that improved corporate awareness across the organization. User involvement in the development of this application increased the perceived importance, for the designers, of application usability, quality and aesthetics. However, other initiatives within this organization produced clashes with informal working practices and communities of practice. Within the second hospital, poor communication from IT about security mechanisms resulted in their misuse by some employees, who viewed them as a socially controlling force. Authentication mechanisms were used to socially exclude users who were formally authorized to access systems but whose access was unacceptable within some local communities of practice. The importance of users' security awareness and control are reviewed within the context of communities of practice.

In the eye of the beholder: a visualization-based approach to information system security

Abstract: Computer system security is traditionally regarded as a primarily technological concern; the fundamental questions to which security researchers address themselves are those of the mathematical guarantees that can be made for the performance of various communication and computational challenges. However, in our research, we focus on a different question. For us, the fundamental security question is one that end-users routinely encounter and resolve for themselves many times a day--the question of whether a system is secure enough for their immediate needs.In this paper, we will describe our explorations of this issue. In particular, we will draw on three major elements of our research to date. The first is empirical investigation into everyday security practices, looking at how people manage security as a practical, day-to-day concern, and exploring the context in which security decisions are made. This empirical work provides a foundation for our reconsideration of the problems of security to a large degree as an interactional problem. The second is our systems approach, based on visualization and event-based architectures. This technical approach provides a broad platform for investigating security and interaction, based on a set of general principles. The third is our initial experiences in a prototype deployment of these mechanisms in an application for peer-to-peer file sharing in face-to-face collaborative settings. We have been using this application as the basis of an initial evaluation of our technology in support of everyday security practices in collaborative workgroups.

Presence, memory and interaction in virtual environments

Abstract: An experimental study is described, comparing presence, memory, and interaction in three different virtual environments: CAVE, Interactive WorkBench, and Reality Room. The aim of the experiment was to investigate possible relationships between these three parameters. It was found that the CAVE was remembered better, had better usability, and provided a better sense of presence to its users.

Fostering motivation and creativity for computer users

Abstract: Creativity might be viewed as any process which results in a novel and useful product. People use computers for creative tasks; they flesh out ideas for text, graphics, engineering solutions, etc. Computer programming is an especially creative activity, but few tools for programming aid creativity. Computers can be designed to foster creativity as well. As a start, all computer programs should help users enumerate ideas, remember alternatives and support various ways to compare them. More sophisticated thinking aids could implement other successful techniques as well.Most computers are used in solitude; however, people depend on social supports for creativity. User scenarios can provide the important social support and gracious cues normally offered by collaborators that keep people motivated and help them consider alternatives. People also use computers to build community and to communicate. Computers should also support and filter these potentially creativity-enhancing communication acts.User-interface designers are so busy exposing features and fighting bugs that they might ignore their users' needs for motivation and creativity support. This paper develops the notion that creativity and motivation enhancement can easily be aligned with the design of high-quality human-computer interaction. User interface toolkits and evaluations should include support for motivation and creativity-enhancing approaches.

Exploring the use of structured musical stimuli to communicate simple diagrams: the role of context

Abstract: The results from previous experiments using structured musical stimuli to communicate coordinate locations within a graphical grid, navigation of an auditory cursor and simple shapes are used as a basis for further exploratory research to communicate diagrams. An experimental framework program (called AudioGraph) provided a platform for investigating musical information processing for blind users. Under this platform, simple arrangements of shapes (forming diagrams) were communicated to users using structured musical stimuli. Meaningfully arranged graphical shapes (at least for the visual sense) were communicated in the absence, and in the presence of a particular perceptual context or different perceptual contexts. The results indicated that perceptual context played an important role in the interpretation of the structured musical stimuli that communicated simple diagrams. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of the results, the role of context and the use of structured musical stimuli to communicate graphical information to visually impaired users.

Interface changes causing accidents: an empirical study of negative transfer

Abstract: When expert operators interact with a new device, they inevitably reuse former interaction modes and actions. This phenomenon is due to the human cognition seeking resources savings. Schemas support this strategy and are implemented in such a way that perfection is disregarded at the profit of an intuitive trade-off between performance and cognitive resources savings. As a consequence, humans have a strong inclination to fit well-known solution procedures into new problems. For this reason, changes in work environments can cause accidents when they allow operators to interact with a new device if the latter is erroneously perceived as familiar. This research issue originates from an industrial background. The suspected cause of a fatal error performed by an operator in a steelworks factory is replicated in an experiment. The results support the hypothesis according to which errors (and possible subsequent accidents) due to changes in the interface are more likely when the latter does not inhibit former modes of interaction modes. This main result is discussed under the angle of cognitive ergonomics and used as a basis to provide design guidelines.