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Katie Seaborn

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Industrial Engineering and Economics, Faculty Member

RIKEN, Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, Visiting Researcher

University College London, UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC), Honorary Researcher

University of Toronto, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Alumnus

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Associate Professor at Tokyo Tech, Visiting Researcher at RIKEN, and Honorary Researcher at the UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC). Previously: Postdoctoral Researcher at RIKEN and Co-operative Research Fellow at The University of Tokyo (2019-20), JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Tokyo (2018-19), and Research Fellow at UCLIC (2017-18). Ph.D. in Human Factors from the Department of Mechanical

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Papers by Katie Seaborn

Voice Over Body? Older Adults' Reactions to Robot and Voice Assistant Facilitators of Group Conversation

International Journal of Social Robotics, 2022

Intelligent agents have great potential as facilitators of group conversation among older adults.... more Intelligent agents have great potential as facilitators of group conversation among older adults. However, little is known about how to design agents for this purpose and user group, especially in terms of agent embodiment. To this end, we conducted a mixed methods study of older adults’ reactions to voice and body in a group conversation facilitation agent. Two agent forms with the same underlying artificial intelligence (AI) and voice system were compared: a humanoid robot and a voice assistant. One preliminary study (total n = 24) and one experimental study comparing voice and body morphologies (n = 36) were conducted with older adults and an experienced human facilitator. Findings revealed that the artificiality of the agent, regardless of its form, was beneficial for the socially uncomfortable task of conversation facilitation. Even so, talkative personality types had a poorer experience with the “bodied” robot version. Design implications and supplementary reactions, especially to agent voice, are also discussed.

Nonverbal cues in human-robot interaction: A communication studies perspective

ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction, 2022

Communication between people is characterized by a broad range of nonverbal cues. Transferring th... more Communication between people is characterized by a broad range of nonverbal cues. Transferring these cues into the design of robots and other artificial agents that interact with people may foster more natural, inviting, and accessible experiences. In this position paper, we offer a series of definitive nonverbal codes for human-robot interaction (HRI) that address the five human sensory systems (visual, auditory, haptic, olfactory, gustatory) drawn from the field of communication studies. We discuss how these codes can be translated into design patterns for HRI using a curated sample of the communication studies and HRI literatures. As nonverbal codes are an essential mode in human communication, we argue that integrating robotic nonverbal codes in HRI will afford robots a feeling of "aliveness" or "social agency" that would otherwise be missing. We end with suggestions for research directions to stimulate work on nonverbal communication within the field of HRI and improve communication between human and robots.

Finding Strategies Against Misinformation in Social Media: A Qualitative Study

CHI EA '22: Extended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2022

Misinformation spread through social media has become a fundamental challenge in modern society. ... more Misinformation spread through social media has become a fundamental challenge in modern society. Recent studies have evaluated various strategies for addressing this problem, such as by modifying social media platforms or educating people about misinformation, to varying degrees of success. Our goal is to develop a new strategy for countering misinformation: intelligent tools that encourage social media users to foster metacognitive skills "in the wild." As a first step, we conducted focus groups with social media users to discover how they can be best supported in combating misinformation. Qualitative analyses of the discussions revealed that people find it difficult to detect misinformation. Findings also indicated a need for but lack of resources to support cross-validation of information. Moreover, misinformation had a nuanced emotional impact on people. Suggestions for the design of intelligent tools that support social media users in information selection, information engagement, and emotional response management are presented. CCS CONCEPTS • General and reference → Empirical studies; • Networks → Social media networks; • Human-centered computing → User studies.

Trust in Human-AI Interaction: Scoping Out Models, Measures, and Methods

CHI EA '22: Extended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2022

Trust has emerged as a key factor in people's interactions with AI-infused systems. Yet, little i... more Trust has emerged as a key factor in people's interactions with AI-infused systems. Yet, little is known about what models of trust have been used and for what systems: robots, virtual characters, smart vehicles, decision aids, or others. Moreover, there is yet no known standard approach to measuring trust in AI. This scoping review maps out the state of affairs on trust in human-AI interaction (HAII) from the perspectives of models, measures, and methods. Findings suggest that trust is an important and multi-faceted topic of study within HAII contexts. However, most work is under-theorized and under-reported, generally not using established trust models and missing details about methods, especially Wizard of Oz. We offer several targets for systematic review work as well as a research agenda for combining the strengths and addressing the weaknesses of the current literature.

Neither "Hear" Nor "Their": Interrogating Gender Neutrality in Robots

HRI '22: Proceedings of the 2022 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, 2022

Gender is a social framework through which people organize themselves-and non-human subjects, inc... more Gender is a social framework through which people organize themselves-and non-human subjects, including robots. Research stretching back decades has found evidence that people tend to gender artificial agents unwittingly, even with the slightest cue of humanlike features in voice, body, role, and other social features. This has led to the notion of gender neutrality in robots: ways in which we can avoid gendering robots in line with human models, as well explorations of extra-human genders. This rapid review critically surveyed the literature to capture the state of art on gender neutrality in robots that interact with people. We present findings on theory, methods, results, and reflexivity. We interrogate the very idea that robot gender/ing can be neutral and explore alternate ways of approaching gender/ing through the design and study of robots interacting with people.

Gender Neutrality in Robots: An Open Living Review Framework

HRI '22: Proceedings of the 2022 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, 2022

Gender is a primary characteristic by which people organize themselves. Previous research has sho... more Gender is a primary characteristic by which people organize themselves. Previous research has shown that people tend to unknowingly ascribe gender to robots based on features of their embodiment. Yet, robots are not necessarily ascribed the same, or any, gender by different people. Indeed, robots may be ascribed non-human genders or used as "genderless" alternatives. This underlies the notion of gender neutrality in robots: neither masculine nor feminine but somewhere in between or even beyond gender. Responding to calls for gender as a locus of study within robotics, we offer a framework for conducting an open living review to be updated periodically as work emerges. Significantly, we provide an open, formalized submission process and open access dataset of research on gender neutrality in robots. This novel and timely approach to consensus-building is expected to pave the way for similar endeavours on other key topics within human-robot interaction research.

Exploring Gender-Expansive Categorization Options for Robots

CHI EA '22: Extended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2022

Gender is increasingly being explored as a social characteristic ascribed to robots by people. Ye... more Gender is increasingly being explored as a social characteristic ascribed to robots by people. Yet, research involving social robots that may be gendered tends not to address gender perceptions, such as through pilot studies or manipulation checks. Moreover, research that does address gender perceptions has been limited by a reliance on the human gender binary model of feminine and masculine, prescriptive response options, and/or researcher assumptions and/or ascriptions of participant gendering. In response, we conducted an online pilot categorization study (n=55) wherein we provided gender-expansive response options for rating four robots ranging across four levels of anthropomorphism. Findings indicate that people gender robots in diverse ways, and not necessarily in relation to the gender binary. Additionally, less anthropomorphic robots and the childlike humanoid robot were deemed masculine, while the iconic robot was deemed gender neutral, fluid, and/or ambiguous. We discuss implications for future work on all humanoid robots.

What Pronouns for Pepper? A Critical Review of Gender/ing in Research

CHI '22: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2022

Gender/ing guides how we view ourselves, the world around us, and each other—including non-humans... more Gender/ing guides how we view ourselves, the world around us, and each other—including non-humans. Critical voices have raised the alarm about stereotyped gendering in the design of socially embodied artificial agents like voice assistants, conversational agents, and robots. Yet, little is known about how this plays out in research and to what extent. As a first step, we critically reviewed the case of Pepper, a gender-ambiguous humanoid robot. We conducted a systematic review (n=75) involving meta-synthesis and content analysis, examining how participants and researchers gendered Pepper through stated and unstated signifiers and pronoun usage. We found that ascriptions of Pepper's gender were inconsistent, limited, and at times discordant, with little evidence of conscious gendering and some indication of researcher influence on participant gendering. We offer six challenges driving the state of affairs and a practical framework coupled with a critical checklist for centering gender in research on artificial agents.

A meta-review of psychological resilience during COVID-19

npj Mental Health Research, 2022

Psychological resilience has emerged as a key factor in mental health during the global COVID-19 ... more Psychological resilience has emerged as a key factor in mental health during the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, no work to date has synthesised findings across review work or assessed the reliability of findings based on review work quality, so as to inform public health policy. We thus conducted a meta-review on all types of review work from the start of the pandemic (January 2020) until the last search date (June 2021). Of an initial 281 papers, 30 were included for review characteristic reporting and 15 were of sufficient review quality for further inclusion in strategy analyses. High-level strategies were identified at the individual, community, organisational, and governmental levels. Several specific training and/or intervention programmes were also identified. However, the quality of findings was insufficient for drawing conclusions. A major gap between measuring the psychological resilience of populations and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies for those populations was revealed. More empirical work, especially randomised controlled trials with diverse populations and rigorous analyses, is strongly recommended for future research.

Reimagining Leaderboards: Towards Gamifying Competency Models through Social Game Mechanics

Gamification '13: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Gameful Design, Research, and Applications, 2013

Competency models have been widely employed within education, training and development contexts. ... more Competency models have been widely employed within education, training and development contexts. In particular, medical education programs have become a platform of exploration around innovations in competency-based assessment. Approaches that employ dynamic, flexible models in a social context are now being sought. In this paper, we present the design of a deliberately gamifiable competency model system that encourages pre-professional development through collaborative peer appraisals. We propose a framework for incorporating social game mechanics into a competency modelling system and draw attention to how a collaborative approach to evidencing progress is a potentially fruitful solution to the threat of demotivation associated with the competitive slant of traditional leaderboards.

The Tiresias Effect: Exploring feedforward using light versus temperature in a tangible game

CHI EA '10: CHI '10 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2010

In this paper I discuss how light and heat information can be designed to affect feedforward in a... more In this paper I discuss how light and heat information can be designed to affect feedforward in a tangible puzzle game. In particular I focus on temperature, which has not been widely considered as an information modality in feedback or feedforward in tangibles. I describe a prototypal research instrument that implements both information modes in a tangible game interface. Finally, I outline a user study in which these modes are explored as feed-forward coaching devices. The expected outcomes of the proposed user study are an understanding of the role of temperature as a feedforward modality in tangible game interfaces and a set of design guidelines for designers of tangible games working with these physical characteristics.

Towards a semiotics of visual texture in touch-based interaction

Semiotics 2012, 2012

Our mediated world is increasingly embracing tactile forms of interaction and information present... more Our mediated world is increasingly embracing tactile forms of interaction and information presentation in tandem with visual and auditory modes. Multimodal objects, from touch-screen devices, such as the iPad, to vibrotactile and kinaesthetic game controllers, such as the Nintendo Wiimote, are melding sensory modes and enhancing their communicative potential. While such objects have received much scholarly attention, particularly with respect to their haptic (invoking the sense of touch), gestural and kinaesthetic capacities and effects, little work has explored the visual presentation of texture in a haptically augmented medium. In this paper, I explore how texture is visually applied in the graphical user interface (GUI) of the iPhone, a touch-based mobile device. First, I will characterize the application of texture using Djonov and Van Leeuwen's (2011) six parameters for describing the visual-tactile quality of texture dimensions. I will then highlight and analyze how touch-based interaction with visual texture in the GUI establish and reinforce patterns of meaning, including texture understanding and conceptual mapping of tactile domains. I seek to contribute to the developing area of software semiotics through an analysis of a touch-based mobile device context.

Programming, PWNed: Using digital game development to enhance learners' competency and self-efficacy in a high school computing science course

SIGCSE '12: Proceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education, 2012

Games are an important part of popular culture and have successfully engaged audiences from diffe... more Games are an important part of popular culture and have successfully engaged audiences from different age groups [8]. This has caused many educators to start thinking of different ways to infuse game-based techniques (playing or construction) to enhance education. Over the past five years, there has been several research efforts on curriculum development and the evaluation of game construction and playing methods to promote STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) concepts to middle and high school students. In this paper, we report on a new study following the lead of previous efforts. In particular, we were granted a block within Frank Hurt High School by the Surrey school district for which to develop a game construction-based curriculum as a basis for computer science education within the school, replacing a traditional computer science class. From February till June 2011 students were taught elementary programming using GameMaker, a digital game development tool. In addition to collecting students' overall impressions, we also evaluated students' technical competency (using tests) and self-efficacy (using surveys) at the start and end of the semester. Our findings show that the curriculum had a positive, statistically significant effect on concept comprehension, which suggests that the curriculum was effective for understanding computer science and game design concepts. In this paper we present the course structure, methods, and evaluation as a contribution.

Gamification in theory and action: A survey

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 2015

Gamification has drawn the attention of academics, practitioners and business professionals in do... more Gamification has drawn the attention of academics, practitioners and business professionals in domains as diverse as education, information studies, human–computer interaction, and health. As yet, the term remains mired in diverse meanings and contradictory uses, while the concept faces division on its academic worth, underdeveloped theoretical foundations, and a dearth of standardized guidelines for application. Despite widespread commentary on its merits and shortcomings, little empirical work has sought to validate gamification as a meaningful concept and provide evidence of its effectiveness as a tool for motivating and engaging users in non-entertainment contexts. Moreover, no work to date has surveyed gamification as a field of study from a human–computer studies perspective. In this paper, we present a systematic survey on the use of gamification in published theoretical reviews and research papers involving interactive systems and human participants. We outline current theoretical understandings of gamification and draw comparisons to related approaches, including alternate reality games (ARGs), games with a purpose (GWAPs), and gameful design. We present a multidisciplinary review of gamification in action, focusing on empirical findings related to purpose and context, design of systems, approaches and techniques, and user impact. Findings from the survey show that a standard conceptualization of gamification is emerging against a growing backdrop of empirical participants-based research. However, definitional subjectivity, diverse or unstated theoretical foundations, incongruities among empirical findings, and inadequate experimental design remain matters of concern. We discuss how gamification may to be more usefully presented as a subset of a larger effort to improve the user experience of interactive systems through gameful design. We end by suggesting points of departure for continued empirical investigations of gamified practice and its effects.

Eudaimonia in human factors research and practice: Foundations and conceptual framework applied to older adult populations

1st International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health - SocialICT (ICT4AgeingWell 2015), 2015

The past decade has seen the emergence of well-being/quality of life as a strand of inquiry in hu... more The past decade has seen the emergence of well-being/quality of life as a strand of inquiry in human factors research that has expanded the field's reach to matters beyond fit, functionality and usability. This effort has been spearheaded by "hedonomics," a human factors conceptualization of well-being that reflects the philosophical notion of hedonia, traditionally defined as pleasure. However, recent work in the psychology of well-being has shown that hedonia constitutes only one facet of well-being. In light of this, the concept of "eudaimonics" as a complement to hedonomics is introduced. First, these concepts are positioned relative to their counterparts in philosophy: where hedonomics is characterized by pleasure and avoidance of pain (hedonia), eudaimonics is characterized by flourishing and personal excellence (eudaimonia). Following this, a working conceptual framework for eudaimonics that is informed by the psychological literature, particularly the concepts of psychological well-being (PWB) and subjective well-being (SWB), is presented. An expansion of the hedonomics model of design priority hierarchy is offered. Applications to the domains of ageing well and technologies for older populations are proposed. Directions for future work, including the adoption and modification of psychology instruments for human factors research, is discussed.

Accessible Play in Everyday Spaces: Mixed Reality Gaming for Adult Powered Chair Users

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), 2016

The advent of affordable and powerful mobile technology has allowed for explorations in mixed rea... more The advent of affordable and powerful mobile technology has allowed for explorations in mixed reality that merge virtual and physical space. However, the social and entertainment value and efficacy of mixed reality platforms for adult powered chair users has not been widely explored. In this paper, we introduce the Mobility Games project, which aims to produce a series of inclusive entertainment technologies and services for people who use powered chairs. We describe our first offering: an accessible, social mixed reality game for co-located mobile play in everyday spaces. Findings from two exploratory field studies and a post hoc observer survey show that adult powered chair users found the game to be entertaining and used a variety of path strategies as they learned to play the game. An initial set of theoretically-and empirically-informed guidelines for making mobile mixed reality games accessible to adult powered chair users with diverse abilities is proposed.

Gamifying the Media Classroom: Instructor Perspectives and the Multidimensional Impact of Gamification on Student Engagement

International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), 2017

Gamification, or the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has become a popular and increasi... more Gamification, or the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has become a popular and increasingly accepted method of engaging learners in educational settings. However, there have been few comparisons of different kinds of courses and students, particularly in terms of discipline and content. Additionally, little work has reported on course instructor/designer perspectives. Finally, few studies on gamification have used a conceptual framework to assess the impact on student engagement. This paper reports on findings from evaluating two gamified multimedia and social media undergraduate courses over the course of one semester. Findings from applying a multidimensional framework suggest that the gamification approach taken was moderately effective for students overall, with some elements being more engaging than others in general and for each course over time." Post-term questionnaires posed to the instructors/course designers revealed congruence with the student perspective and several challenges pre- and post-implementation, despite the use of established rules for gamifying curricula.

"Learn what we're going through": Attitudes of older powered chair users towards mixed reality games that involve power mobility

Universal Access in the Information Society, 2015

Older powered chair users’ perceptions on and attitudes towards mixed reality and modern facilita... more Older powered chair users’ perceptions on and attitudes towards mixed reality and modern facilitating technologies, such as tablets and smartphones, was explored to inform the design of mixed reality games that involve power mobility. Eleven older powered chair users (aged 55 and over) were interviewed in focus groups about their knowledge of, adoption of, experiences with, attitudes about, preferences for, and interest in these topics. Questionnaire and interview data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings suggest that community-dwelling older powered chair users are a technologically forward group that use or are interested in trying new technologies and interaction paradigms, with key barriers being identity mismatch, affordability, and social acceptability. Although they did not see their use of powered chairs, new technologies, and digital entertainment as an integrated system, participants were receptive to the idea of synchronizing assistive and non-assistive technologies for the purpose of social entertainment, advanced training, and/or promoting understanding and empathy in others. In particular, the concept of a game-based mixed reality platform designed around performance mastery for older powered chair users and empathy training for able-bodied friends and family members was well-received. Initial resistance due to identity mismatch or lack of knowledge was mitigated through explanation and examples.

A cooperative game for older powered chair users and their friends and family

2015 IEEE Games Entertainment Media Conference (GEM), 2015

For older adults, adopting a powered mobility aid signals a life transition that affects several ... more For older adults, adopting a powered mobility aid signals a life transition that affects several well-being factors: their self-image, motivation, and self-perception of ability, but also how other people - friends, family, coworkers, strangers - relate to and perceive these individuals. We present initial findings from a user study in which we (a) recorded a baseline of well-being using established psychological instruments, and (b) evaluated a web-based prototype of a cooperative mixed reality game for improving the well-being of older powered chair users and their friends and family. Our results show that most participants considered themselves to be happy and were driven by hedonic and eudaimonic motives during gameplay, but were mixed with respect to their attitudes towards disability.

Usability and Safety of a HUD During Powered Chair Navigation: A Pilot Study

HCI International, 2016

Ensuring that mixed reality spaces are inclusive to those who have motor impairments requires eva... more Ensuring that mixed reality spaces are inclusive to those who have motor impairments requires evaluating and, if necessary, modifying existing technology for the assistive mobility devices they use. Heads-up displays (HUDs) are a common facilitator of virtual augmentations on physical reality, especially for motor vehicles. However, little research to date has explored the efficacy of such displays for powered chairs, which is paramount to ensure safety and effectiveness of use. In this pilot study, we compared (a) transparency of the display (transparent, semi-transparent, and opaque) and (b) presentation mode of the information (text, icon, and text + icon) through dynamic powered chair navigation tasks in a controlled course setup. We found no difference for workload and error among transparency and presentation styles, but a significant difference between presentation styles on delay. These results will be evaluated in full through an mixed reality platform with powered chair users.