Showing papers in "International Journal of Human-computer Studies \/ International Journal of Man-machine Studies in 2007"

Knowledge sharing behavior in virtual communities: The relationship between trust, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations

Abstract: There has been a growing interest in examining the factors that support or hinder one's knowledge sharing behavior in the virtual communities. However, still very few studies examined them from both personal and environmental perspectives. In order to explore the knowledge sharing behaviors within the virtual communities of professional societies, this study proposed a social cognitive theory (SCT)-based model that includes knowledge sharing self-efficacy and outcome expectations for personal influences, and multi-dimensional trusts for environmental influences. The proposed research model was then evaluated with structural equation modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis was also applied to test if the empirical data conform to the proposed model.

Manipulating perceived social presence through the web interface and its impact on attitude towards online shopping

Abstract: Electronic commerce typically lacks human warmth and sociability, since it is more impersonal, anonymous and automated than traditional face-to-face commerce. This paper explores how human warmth and sociability can be integrated through the web interface to positively impact consumer attitudes towards online shopping. An empirical study was undertaken to investigate the impact of various levels of socially rich text and picture design elements on the perception of online social presence and its subsequent effect on antecedents of attitudes towards websites. Higher levels of perceived social presence are shown to positively impact the perceived usefulness, trust and enjoyment of shopping websites, leading to more favourable consumer attitudes. Implications of these finding for practitioners and future research are outlined.

Automatic prediction of frustration

Abstract: Predicting when a person might be frustrated can provide an intelligent system with important information about when to initiate interaction. For example, an automated Learning Companion or Intelligent Tutoring System might use this information to intervene, providing support to the learner who is likely to otherwise quit, while leaving engaged learners free to discover things without interruption. This paper presents the first automated method that assesses, using multiple channels of affect-related information, whether a learner is about to click on a button saying ''I'm frustrated.'' The new method was tested on data gathered from 24 participants using an automated Learning Companion. Their indication of frustration was automatically predicted from the collected data with 79% accuracy (chance=58%). The new assessment method is based on Gaussian process classification and Bayesian inference. Its performance suggests that non-verbal channels carrying affective cues can help provide important information to a system for formulating a more intelligent response.

A fuzzy physiological approach for continuously modeling emotion during interaction with play technologies

Abstract: The popularity of computer games has exploded in recent years, yet methods of evaluating user emotional state during play experiences lag far behind. There are few methods of assessing emotional state, and even fewer methods of quantifying emotion during play. This paper presents a novel method for continuously modeling emotion using physiological data. A fuzzy logic model transformed four physiological signals into arousal and valence. A second fuzzy logic model transformed arousal and valence into five emotional states relevant to computer game play: boredom, challenge, excitement, frustration, and fun. Modeled emotions compared favorably with a manual approach, and the means were also evaluated with subjective self-reports, exhibiting the same trends as reported emotions for fun, boredom, and excitement. This approach provides a method for quantifying emotional states continuously during a play experience.

How emotion is made and measured

Abstract: How we design and evaluate for emotions depends crucially on what we take emotions to be. In affective computing, affect is often taken to be another kind of information-discrete units or states internal to an individual that can be transmitted in a loss-free manner from people to computational systems and back. While affective computing explicitly challenges the primacy of rationality in cognitivist accounts of human activity, at a deeper level it often relies on and reproduces the same information-processing model of cognition. Drawing on cultural, social, and interactional critiques of cognition which have arisen in human-computer interaction (HCI), as well as anthropological and historical accounts of emotion, we explore an alternative perspective on emotion as interaction: dynamic, culturally mediated, and socially constructed and experienced. We demonstrate how this model leads to new goals for affective systems-instead of sensing and transmitting emotion, systems should support human users in understanding, interpreting, and experiencing emotion in its full complexity and ambiguity. In developing from emotion as objective, externally measurable unit to emotion as experience, evaluation, too, alters focus from externally tracking the circulation of emotional information to co-interpreting emotions as they are made in interaction.

ERP training with a web-based electronic learning system: The flow theory perspective

Abstract: Whilst the importance of end-user training is recognized as a factor in the success of information systems, companies have suffered from relatively low information system training budgets and an insufficient number of trainers. However, technological innovations in computers, telecommunications and the Internet, e-learning has made it possible to overcome many constraints. In this study, we suggest an e-learning success model based on flow theory. A questionnaire-based empirical study was used to test the model. It used data from e-learners who participated in a program on Enterprise Resource Planning training with a web-based e-learning system supported by the Korea Ministry of Information and Communication. Results confirm the significant interdependent relationships between the characteristics of e-learning, flow experience, learners' attitude towards e-learning, and the resulting learning outcomes. In particular, it was revealed that flow experience plays a critical role as a central part of our research model, having direct and indirect impact on learning outcomes (i.e., the technology self-efficacy in ERP system usage in this study). This study should be of relevance to both researchers and practitioners alike, as a step towards a better understanding of e-learning, especially in the context of information system training.

Mining communities and their relationships in blogs: A study of online hate groups

Abstract: Blogs, often treated as the equivalence of online personal diaries, have become one of the fastest growing types of Web-based media. Everyone is free to express their opinions and emotions very easily through blogs. In the blogosphere, many communities have emerged, which include hate groups and racists that are trying to share their ideology, express their views, or recruit new group members. It is important to analyze these virtual communities, defined based on membership and subscription linkages, in order to monitor for activities that are potentially harmful to society. While many Web mining and network analysis techniques have been used to analyze the content and structure of the Web sites of hate groups on the Internet, these techniques have not been applied to the study of hate groups in blogs. To address this issue, we have proposed a semi-automated approach in this research. The proposed approach consists of four modules, namely blog spider, information extraction, network analysis, and visualization. We applied this approach to identify and analyze a selected set of 28 anti-Blacks hate groups (820 bloggers) on Xanga, one of the most popular blog hosting sites. Our analysis results revealed some interesting demographical and topological characteristics in these groups, and identified at least two large communities on top of the smaller ones. The study also demonstrated the feasibility in applying the proposed approach in the study of hate groups and other related communities in blogs.

Internet users' perceptions of 'privacy concerns' and 'privacy actions'

Abstract: A consistent finding reported in online privacy research is that an overwhelming majority of people are 'concerned' about their privacy when they use the Internet. Therefore, it is important to understand the discourse of Internet users' privacy concerns, and any actions they take to guard against these concerns. A Dynamic Interviewing Programme (DIP) was employed in order to survey users of an instant messaging ICQ ('I seek you') client using both closed and open question formats. Analysis of 530 respondents' data illustrates the importance of establishing users' privacy concerns and the reasoning behind these concerns. Results indicate that Internet users are concerned about a wider range of privacy issues than surveys have typically covered. The results do not provide final definitions for the areas of online privacy, but provide information that is useful to gain a better understanding of privacy concerns and actions.

CourseVis: A graphical student monitoring tool for supporting instructors in web-based distance courses

Abstract: This paper presents CourseVis, a system that takes a novel approach of using Web log data generated by course management systems (CMSs) to help instructors become aware of what is happening in distance learning classes. Specifically, techniques from information visualization (IV) are employed to graphically render complex, multidimensional student tracking data. Several graphical representations are generated to help distance learning instructors get a better understanding of social, behavioural, and cognitive aspects related to learners. The evaluation of CourseVis shows that it can help instructors to quickly identify tendencies in their classes and discover individuals that might need special attention. This suggests that the effectiveness of CMSs can be improved by integrating IV techniques to generate appropriate graphical representations, similar to those produced in CourseVis.

Top-down and bottom-up influences on learning from animations

Abstract: To evaluate how top-down and bottom-up processes contribute to learning from animated displays, we conducted four experiments that varied either in the design of animations or the prior knowledge of the learners. Experiments 1-3 examined whether adding interactivity and signaling to an animation benefits learners in developing a mental model of a mechanical system. Although learners utilized interactive controls and signaling devices, their comprehension of the system was no better than that of learners who saw animations without these design features. Furthermore, the majority of participants developed a mental model of the system that was incorrect and inconsistent with information displayed in the animation. Experiment 4 tested effects of domain knowledge and found, surprisingly, that even some learners with high domain knowledge initially constructed the incorrect mental model. After multiple exposures to the materials, the high knowledge learners revised their mental models to the correct one, while the low-knowledge learners maintained their erroneous models. These results suggest that learning from animations involves a complex interplay between top-down and bottom-up processes and that more emphasis should be placed on how prior knowledge is applied to interpreting animations.

Making adaptive cruise control (ACC) limits visible

Abstract: Previous studies have shown adaptive cruise control (ACC) can compromise driving safety when drivers do not understand how the ACC functions, suggesting that drivers need to be informed about the capabilities of this technology. This study applies ecological interface design (EID) to create a visual representation of ACC behavior, which is intended to promote appropriate reliance and support effective transitions between manual and ACC control. The EID display reveals the behavior of ACC in terms of time headway (THW), time to collision (TTC), and range rate. This graphical representation uses emergent features that signal the state of the ACC. Two failure modes-exceedance of braking algorithm limits and sensor failures-were introduced in the driving contexts of traffic and rain, respectively. A medium-fidelity driving simulator was used to evaluate the effect of automation (manual, ACC control), and display (EID, no display) on ACC reliance, brake response, and driver intervention strategies. Drivers in traffic conditions relied more appropriately on ACC when the EID display was present than when it was not, proactively disengaging the ACC. The EID display promoted faster and more consistent braking responses when braking algorithm limits were exceeded, resulting in safe following distances and no collisions. In manual control, the EID display aided THW maintenance in both rain and traffic conditions, reducing the demands of driving and promoting more consistent and less variable car-following performance. These results suggest that providing drivers with continuous information about the state of the automation is a promising alternative to the more common approach of providing imminent crash warnings when it fails. Informing drivers may be more effective than warning drivers.

A balanced thinking-feelings model of information systems continuance

Abstract: Most studies on technology adoption and usage continuance examine cognitive factors, leaving affective factors or the feelings of users relatively unexplored. In contrast, researchers in the diverse fields of human-computer interaction, medicine, psychology and marketing have begun to note the importance of feelings in understanding and predicting human behavior. Feelings are anticipated to be essential particularly in the context of modern applications, such as mobile Internet (M-Internet) services. Users of modern technology are not simply technology users but also service consumers and may consider both cognitive and emotional benefits. Drawing upon multidisciplinary findings, this study proposes a balanced thinking-feelings model of IS continuance. In the process of developing this model, the concepts of attitude, thinking and feelings are further articulated, defined and distinguished. The balanced thinking-feelings model is validated in a survey of M-Internet service users. To encourage continuance, companies should consider ways to enhance both cognitive and emotional benefits for users. The model could be also useful for balanced understanding of other behaviors.

Improving password security and memorability to protect personal and organizational information

Abstract: Personal information and organizational information need to be protected, which requires that only authorized users gain access to the information. The most commonly used method for authenticating users who attempt to access such information is through the use of username-password combinations. However, this is a weak method of authentication because users tend to generate passwords that are easy to remember but also easy to crack. Proactive password checking, for which passwords must satisfy certain criteria, is one method for improving the security of user-generated passwords. The present study evaluated the time and number of attempts needed to generate unique passwords satisfying different restrictions for multiple accounts, as well as the login time and accuracy for recalling those passwords. Imposing password restrictions alone did not necessarily lead to more secure passwords. However, the use of a technique for which the first letter of each word of a sentence was used coupled with a requirement to insert a special character and digit yielded more secure passwords that were more memorable.

Communicating emotion through a haptic link: Design space and methodology

Abstract: Communication of affect across a distance is not well supported by current technology, despite its importance to interpersonal interaction in modern lifestyles. Touch is a powerful conduit for emotional connectedness, and thus mediating haptic (touch) displays have been proposed to address this deficiency; but suitable evaluative methodology has been elusive. In this paper, we offer a first, structured examination of a design space for haptic support of remote affective communication, by analyzing the space and then comparing haptic models designed to manipulate its key dimensions. In our study, dyads (intimate pairs or strangers) are asked to communicate specified emotions using a purely haptic link that consists of virtual models rendered on simple knobs. These models instantiate both interaction metaphors of varying intimacy, and representations of virtual interpersonal distance. Our integrated objective and subjective observations imply that emotion can indeed be communicated through this medium, and confirm that the factors examined influence emotion communication performance as well as preference, comfort and connectedness. The proposed design space and the study results have implications for future efforts to support affective communication using the haptic modality, and the study approach comprises a first model for systematic evaluation of haptically expressed affect.

Modeling and evaluating empathy in embodied companion agents

Abstract: Affective reasoning plays an increasingly important role in cognitive accounts of social interaction. Humans continuously assess one another's situational context, modify their own affective state accordingly, and then respond to these outcomes by expressing empathetic behaviors. Synthetic agents serving as companions should respond similarly. However, empathetic reasoning is riddled with the complexities stemming from the myriad factors bearing upon situational assessment. A key challenge posed by affective reasoning in synthetic agents is devising empirically informed models of empathy that accurately respond in social situations. This paper presents Care, a data-driven affective architecture and methodology for learning models of empathy by observing human-human social interactions. First, in Care training sessions, one trainer directs synthetic agents to perform a sequence of tasks while another trainer manipulates companion agents' affective states to produce empathetic behaviors (spoken language, gesture, and posture). Care tracks situational data including locational, intentional, and temporal information to induce a model of empathy. At runtime, Care uses the model of empathy to drive situation-appropriate empathetic behaviors. Care has been used in a virtual environment testbed. Two complementary studies investigating the predictive accuracy and perceived accuracy of Care-induced models of empathy suggest that the Care paradigm can provide the basis for effective empathetic behavior control in embodied companion agents.

Navigation in 3D virtual environments: Effects of user experience and location-pointing navigation aids

Abstract: In this paper, we describe the results of an experimental study whose objective was twofold: (1) comparing three navigation aids that help users perform wayfinding tasks in desktop virtual environments (VEs) by pointing out the location of objects or places; (2) evaluating the effects of user experience with 3D desktop VEs on their effectiveness with the considered navigation aids. In particular, we compared navigation performance (in terms of total time to complete an informed search task) of 48 users divided into two groups: subjects in one group had experience in navigating 3D VEs while subjects in the other group did not. The experiment comprised four conditions that differed for the navigation aid that was employed. The first and the second condition, respectively, exploited 3D and 2D arrows to point towards objects that users had to reach; in the third condition, a radar metaphor was employed to show the location of objects in the VE; the fourth condition was a control condition with no location-pointing navigation aid available. The search task was performed both in a VE representing an outdoor geographic area and in an abstract VE that did not resemble any familiar environment. For each VE, users were also asked to order the four conditions according to their preference. Results show that the navigation aid based on 3D arrows outperformed (both in terms of user performance and user preference) the others, except in the case when it was used by experienced users in the geographic VE. In that case, it was as effective as the others. Finally, in the geographic VE, experienced users took significantly less time than inexperienced users to perform the informed search, while in the abstract VE the difference was significant only in the control and the radar conditions. From a more general perspective, our study highlights the need to take into specific consideration user experience in navigating VEs when designing navigation aids and evaluating their effectiveness.

Experimental evaluation of five methods for collecting emotions in field settings with mobile applications

Abstract: This paper presents experiences on using five different self-report methods, two adopted from literature and three self-created, for collecting information about emotional responses to mobile applications These methods were used in nine separate field experiments done in naturalistic settings Based on our experiments, we can argue that all of these methods can be successfully used for collecting emotional responses to evaluate mobile applications in mobile settings However, differences can be identified in the suitability of the methods for different research setups Even though the self-report instruments provide a feasible alternative for evaluating emotions evoked by mobile applications, several challenges were identified, for example, in capturing the dynamic nature of mobile interaction usage situations and contexts To summarise our results, we propose a framework for selecting and comparing these methods for different usage purposes

The usability of passphrases for authentication: An empirical field study

Abstract: In developing password policies, IT managers must strike a balance between security and memorability. Rules that improve structural integrity against attacks may also result in passwords that are difficult to remember. Recent technologies have relaxed the 8-character password constraint to permit the creation of longer pass-''phrases'' consisting of multiple words. Longer passphrases are attractive because they can improve security by increasing the difficulty of brute-force attacks and they might also be easy to remember. Yet, no empirical evidence concerning the actual usability of passphrases exists. This paper presents the results of a 12-week experiment that examines users' experience and satisfaction with passphrases. Results indicate that passphrase users experienced a rate of unsuccessful logins due to memory recall failure similar to that of users of self-generated simple passwords and stringent passwords. However, passphrase users had more failed login attempts due to typographical errors than did users of either simple or highly secure passwords. Moreover, although the typographical errors disappeared over time, passphrase users' initial problems negatively affected their end-of-experiment perceptions.

Supporting serendipity: Using ambient intelligence to augment user exploration for data mining and web browsing

Abstract: Serendipity is the making of fortunate discoveries by accident, and is one of the cornerstones of scientific progress. In today's world of digital data and media, there is now a vast quantity of material that we could potentially encounter, and so there is an increased opportunity of being able to discover interesting things. However, the availability of material does not imply that we will be able to actually find it; the sheer quantity of data mitigates against us being able to discover the interesting nuggets. This paper explores approaches we have taken to support users in their search for interesting and relevant information. The primary concept is the principle that it is more useful to augment user skills in information foraging than it is to try and replace them. We have taken a variety of artificial intelligence, statistical, and visualisation techniques, and combined them with careful design approaches to provide supportive systems that monitor user actions, garner additional information from their surrounding environment and use this enhanced understanding to offer supplemental information that aids the user in their interaction with the system. We present two different systems that have been designed and developed according to these principles. The first system is a data mining system that allows interactive exploration of the data, allowing the user to pose different questions and understand information at different levels of detail. The second supports information foraging of a different sort, aiming to augment users browsing habits in order to help them surf the internet more effectively. Both use ambient intelligence techniques to provide a richer context for the interaction and to help guide it in more effective ways: both have the user as the focal point of the interaction, in control of an iterative exploratory process, working in indirect collaboration with the artificial intelligence components. Each of these systems contains some important concepts of their own: the data mining system has a symbolic genetic algorithm which can be tuned in novel ways to aid knowledge discovery, and which reports results in a user-comprehensible format. The visualisation system supports high-dimensional data, dynamically organised in a three-dimensional space and grouped by similarity. The notions of similarity are further discussed in the internet browsing system, in which an approach to measuring similarity between web pages and a user's interests is presented. We present details of both systems and evaluate their effectiveness.

How do people tap when walking? An empirical investigation of nomadic data entry

Abstract: When mobile devices are used on the move, a user's limited visual resources are split between interacting with the mobile devices and maintaining awareness of the surrounding environment. In this study, we examined stylus-based tapping operations on a PDA under three mobility situations: seated, walking on a treadmill, and walking through an obstacle course. The results revealed that Fitts' Law continues to be effective even under the most challenging obstacle course condition. While target selection times did not differ between the various mobility conditions, overall task completion times, error rates, and several measures of workload differed significantly. Diminished performance under the obstacle course condition was attributed to increased demands on attention associated with navigating through the obstacle course. Results showed that the participants in the obstacle course condition were able to tap on a 6.4mm-diameter target with 90% accuracy, but they reduced their walking speed by 36% and perceived an increased workload. Extending earlier research, we found that treadmill-based conditions were able to generate representative data for task selection times, but accuracy differed significantly from the more realistic obstacle course condition.

Using OWL to model biological knowledge

Abstract: Much has been written of the facilities for ontology building and reasoning offered for ontologies expressed in the Web Ontology Language (OWL). Less has been written about how the modelling requirements of different areas of interest are met by OWL-DL's underlying model of the world. In this paper we use the disciplines of biology and bioinformatics to reveal the requirements of a community that both needs and uses ontologies. We use a case study of building an ontology of protein phosphatases to show how OWL-DL's model can capture a large proportion of the community's needs. We demonstrate how Ontology Design Patterns (ODPs) can extend inherent limitations of this model. We give examples of relationships between more than two instances; lists and exceptions, and conclude by illustrating what OWL-DL and its underlying description logic either cannot handle in theory or because of lack of implementation. Finally, we present a research agenda that, if fulfilled, would help ensure OWL's wider take up in the life science community.

Editorial: Knowledge representation with ontologies: Present challenges-Future possibilities

Abstract: Ontologies have become the knowledge representation medium of choice in recent years for a range of computer science specialities including the Semantic Web, Agents, and Bio-informatics. There has been a great deal of research and development in this area combined with hype and reaction. This special issue is concerned with the limitations of ontologies and how these can be addressed, together with a consideration of how we can circumvent or go beyond these constraints. The introduction places the discussion in context and presents the papers included in this issue.

In situ informants exploring an emotional mobile messaging system in their everyday practice

Abstract: We have designed and built a mobile emotional messaging system named eMoto. With it, users can compose messages through using emotion-signalling gestures as input, rendering a message background of colours, shapes and animations expressing the emotional content. The design intent behind eMoto was that it should be engaging physically, intellectually and socially, and allow users to express themselves emotionally in all those dimensions, involving them in an affective loop experience. In here, we describe the user-centred design process that lead to the eMoto system, but focus mainly on the final study where we let five friends use eMoto for two weeks. The study method, which we name in situ informants, helped us enter and explore the subjective and distributed experiences of use, as well as how emotional communication unfolds in everyday practice when channelled through a system like eMoto. The in situ informants are on the one hand users of eMoto, but also spectators, that are close friends who observe and document user behaviour. Design conclusions include the need to support the sometimes fragile communication rhythm that friendships require-expressing memories of the past, sharing the present and planning for the future. We saw that emotions are not singular state that exist within one person alone, but permeates the total situation, changing and drifting as a process between the two friends communicating. We also gained insights into the under-estimated but still important physical, sensual aspects of emotional communication. Experiences of the in situ informants method pointed to the need to involve participants in the interpretation of the data obtained, as well as establishing a closer connection with the spectators.

Measuring emotional valence to understand the user's experience of software

Abstract: This paper reports on the results of two studies that used facial electromyography (EMG) measures combined with verbal and performance measures to provide feedback in the software design process on the user's emotional state. The first study assessed 16 participant's emotional responses while they passively viewed mock ups of proposed new operating system features. The second study measured the emotional responses of 15 participants while they actively used one of two versions of a media player. This multimodal assessment method was able to provide a sensitive measure of the desirability of the proposed software features, and a measure of emotional tension and mental effort expended in the interactive tasks.

Cultural commentators: Non-native interpretations as resources for polyphonic assessment

Abstract: Designs for everyday life must be considered in terms of the many facets of experience they affect, including their aesthetics, emotional effects, genre, social niche, and cultural connotations. In this paper, I discuss the use of cultural commentators, people whose profession it is to inform and shape public opinion, as resources for multi-layered assessments of designs for everyday life. I describe our work with a team of movie screenwriters to help interpret the results of a Cultural Probe study, and with film-makers to document the experiences of people living with prototype designs in their homes. The value of employing cultural commentators is that they work outside our usual community of discourse, and are often accustomed to reflecting issues of aesthetics, emotions, social fit or cultural implication that are difficult to address from traditional HCI perspectives. They help to focus and articulate people's accounts of their experiences, extrapolating narratives from incomplete information, and dramatising relationships to create powerful and provocative stories. In so doing, they create the grounds for a polyphonic assessment of prototypes, in which a multiplicity of perspectives encourages a multi-layered assessment.

Analyzing terror campaigns on the internet: Technical sophistication, content richness, and Web interactivity

Abstract: Terrorists and extremists are increasingly utilizing Internet technology to enhance their ability to influence the outside world. Due to the lack of multi-lingual and multimedia terrorist/extremist collections and advanced analytical methodologies, our empirical understanding of their Internet usage is still very limited. To address this research gap, we explore an integrated approach for identifying and collecting terrorist/extremist Web contents. We also propose a Dark Web Attribute System (DWAS) to enable quantitative Dark Web content analysis from three perspectives: technical sophistication, content richness, and Web interactivity. Using the proposed methodology, we identified and examined the Internet usage of major Middle Eastern terrorist/extremist groups. More than 200,000 multimedia Web documents were collected from 86 Middle Eastern multi-lingual terrorist/extremist Web sites. In our comparison of terrorist/extremist Web sites to US government Web sites, we found that terrorists/extremist groups exhibited similar levels of Web knowledge as US government agencies. Moreover, terrorists/extremists had a strong emphasis on multimedia usage and their Web sites employed significantly more sophisticated multimedia technologies than government Web sites. We also found that the terrorists/extremist groups are as effective as the US government agencies in terms of supporting communications and interaction using Web technologies. Advanced Internet-based communication tools such as online forums and chat rooms are used much more frequently in terrorist/extremist Web sites than government Web sites. Based on our case study results, we believe that the DWAS is an effective tool to analyse the technical sophistication of terrorist/extremist groups' Internet usage and could contribute to an evidence-based understanding of the applications of Web technologies in the global terrorism phenomena.

Deception in cyberspace: A comparison of text-only vs. avatar-supported medium

Abstract: The use of anthropomorphic avatars provides Internet users the opportunity and freedom to manipulate their identity. As cyberspace becomes a haven for deceptive behavior, human-computer interaction research will need to be carried out to study and understand these deceptive behaviors. The objective of this research is to investigate the behavior of deceivers and non-deceivers (or truth-tellers) in the cyberspace environment. We examine if the intention to deceive others influences one's choice of avatars in the online chat environment. We also investigate if communication medium (text-only vs. avatar-supported chat) influences one's perception of trustworthiness of the communication partner. A lab experiment was conducted in an online chat environment with dyads. The results indicate that in the text-only chat environment, subjects who were deceiving their partner experienced higher anxiety levels than those who were truthful to their partner; however, the same phenomenon was not observed in the avatar-supported chat environment. This suggests that ''wearing a mask'' in cyberspace may reduce anxiety in deceiving others. Additionally, deceivers are more likely to choose avatars that are different from their real selves. The results also show that the use of avatars in a computer-mediated chat environment does not have an impact on one's perceived trustworthiness.

An interactional perspective on group awareness: Alleviating the information-exchange dilemma (for everybody?)

Abstract: In situations of computer-mediated communication and computer-supported cooperation, a central challenge lies in increasing the willingness of those involved to share their information with the other group members. In the experimental work presented here, a shared-database setting is selected as a prototypical situation of net-based information exchange and examined from a social-dilemma perspective: the individual who contributes information to a shared database must reckon with costs and no benefits. The most efficient strategy from the perspective of the individual is thus to withhold information. Previous research has shown that a group-awareness tool which provides information about the contribution behavior of group members influences people's information-exchange behavior. In order to examine the psychological processes underlying these effects of group awareness in more detail, the present study adopts an interactional approach, according to which person-situation interaction is investigated. Certain personality traits (interpersonal trust, sensation seeking, and self-monitoring) were measured and several hypotheses tested regarding the reactions of individuals with high and low trait values to different types of awareness information. Results demonstrate that awareness tools providing information about highly cooperative group members encourage participants to trust one another and minimize the risk of being exploited. When an awareness tool additionally provides feedback about the contribution behavior of single individuals, it becomes an opportunity for self-presentation. In conclusion, an interactional approach which considers personality traits and situational factors in a net-based information-exchange situation provides new insights into both the influence processes of group awareness and the connection of these processes to specific personality traits with respect to contribution behavior.

Determinants of success for application service provider: An empirical test in small businesses

Abstract: Recently, application service provider (ASP), a new rental-based enterprise software business, has become a viable option. Although ASP has the potential to fundamentally change the manner in which IT services are provided for user firms, current ASPs often fail to show robust records in accumulating and maintaining customers. Therefore, this paper attempts to explore the main success factors for ASP-based information systems on the basis of past IS success models. Two hundred and three samples were collected from small and medium enterprises with ASP service experiences. Data analysis using LISREL shows that seven IS success factors-system quality, information quality, service quality, intention to use, user satisfaction, individual benefit, organizational benefit and an additional factor, trust, have good fit with data gathered. These factors, except for system quality, show significant coefficients and explanatory power. Furthermore, it is found that both service quality and information quality are significant for fostering user satisfaction, trust, and intention to use.

Mapping the contemporary terrorism research domain

Abstract: A systematic view of terrorism research to reveal the intellectual structure of the field and empirically discern the distinct set of core researchers, institutional affiliations, publications, and conceptual areas can help us gain a deeper understanding of approaches to terrorism. This paper responds to this need by using an integrated knowledge-mapping framework that we developed to identify the core researchers and knowledge creation approaches in terrorism. The framework uses three types of analysis: (a) basic analysis of scientific output using citation, bibliometric, and social network analyses, (b) content map analysis of large corpora of literature, and (c) co-citation analysis to analyse linkages among pairs of researchers. We applied domain visualization techniques such as content map analysis, block-modeling, and co-citation analysis to the literature and author citation data from the years 1965 to 2003. The data were gathered from ten databases such as the ISI Web of Science. The results reveal: (1) the names of the top 42 core terrorism researchers (e.g., Brian Jenkins, Bruce Hoffman, and Paul Wilkinson) as well as their institutional affiliations; (2) their influential publications; (3) clusters of terrorism researchers who work in similar areas; and (4) that the research focus has shifted from terrorism as a low-intensity conflict to a strategic threat to world powers with increased focus on Osama Bin Laden.