Alle Publikationen
2018
-
(2018): Architecture of Internet Agent with Social Awareness. In: Procedia Computer Science 123, S. 240-245. DOI: 10.1016/j.procs.2018.01.037
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2018.01.037 Abstract: We describe approach, architecture, implementation and practical applications of personal software agent with social awareness, capable to capture socio-temporal context of its user on the Web and in social networks in the course of interactions of the user with agent itself and user’s Internet environments online.
-
(2018): Theory of mind and humanoid robots from a lifespan perspective. In: Zeitschrift für Psychologie 226 (2), S. 98-109. DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000326
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000326 Abstract: This review focuses on some relevant issues concerning the relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and humanoid robots. Humanoid robots are employed in different everyday-life contexts, so it seems relevant to question whether the relationships between human beings and humanoids can be characterized by a mode of interaction typical of the relationships between human beings, that is, the attribution of mental states. Because ToM development continuously undergoes changes from early childhood to late adulthood, we adopted a lifespan perspective. We analyzed contributions from the literature by organizing them around the partition between 'mental states and actions' and 'human-like features.' Finally, we considered how studying human–robot interaction, within a ToM context, can contribute to our understanding of the intersubjective nature of this interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
-
(2018): Theory of a machine's mind. In: New Scientist 237 (3167), S. 6-7. DOI: 10.1016/S0262-4079(18)30365-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(18)30365-8 Abstract: MACHINES are getting to know each other better. An artificial intelligence, developed by Google-owned research firm DeepMind, can now pass an important psychological assessment that most children only develop the skills to pass at around age 4. Its aptitude in …
-
(2018): Urban robotics. Towards responsible innovations for our cities. In: Robotics and Autonomous Systems 100, S. 278-286. DOI: 10.1016/j.robot.2017.03.007
-
(2018): Attributions of Morality and Mind to Artificial Intelligence after Real-World Moral Violations. In: Computers in Human Behavior, S. 401-411. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.014
Abstract: Highlights: •AI’s real-world moral violations only reported 43.5% of the time •Knowledge of algorithm increases moral violation perception •AI not organization, programmer, or use is attributed wrongness •AI attributed mind, awareness, intentionality, justification, and responsibility
2017
-
(2017) : Timing Sequences and Influence of Time In: Ahamed, Syed V.: Evolution of knowledge science: Myth to medicine : intelligent internet-based humanist machines: Cambridge, MA: Morgan Kaufmann, S. 249-264
Abstract: In this chapter, we present a computational-based framework for the representation of social interactions. A knowledge/social machine can thus analyze, scrutinize, enhance, and improve any interaction process. In a rational setting, computer-aided social processes can be smooth and directionally convergent without irritations, misunderstandings, and emotionally exhausting. In an emotional setting, computer-aided social interactions can be accepting, forgiving, and adjusting. Since almost all social entities have a fair proportion of intelligence and emotion content in their dealings, the machine can so adjust the tone of the interaction to be intellectual yet emotionally satisfying and also be emotionally gratifying yet intellectually rewarding. The mode of interaction can be made mood, situation, culture, and time dependent. The role of the machine becomes desirable in corporate and national negotiations where the situation is generally depicted by a zero-sum game strategy. Fairness and risk are both explored for both the participants simultaneously. When the situation is depicted by nonzero-sum game strategy, the machine will search the Internet knowledge bases to find a creative conclusion of the social interactions by introducing other linked objects into the negotiation process with time, and timings are negotiable parameters. It is also foreseeable that such machines will train the next generation of adolescents in the art of social elegance and work creative solutions for social problems thus reducing social friction in the society.
-
(2017): Contemporary morality. Moral judgments in digital contexts. In: Computers in Human Behavior 75, S. 184-193. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.020
Abstract: Nowadays, several of the situations in which we have to make decisions are in digital form. In a first experiment (N = 1010) we showed that people's moral judgments depend on the Digital Context (Smartphone vs. PC) in which a dilemma is presented, becoming more utilitarian (vs. deontological) when using Smartphones in high conflict moral dilemmas. To provide additional evidence, we ran a second (N = 250) and a third experiment (N = 300), where we introduced time constraints and we manipulated time instructions. Our results provide an extended perspective on Dual-Process Models of Moral Judgment, as we showed that the use of smartphones, often assumed to be hurried which would be consistent with gut-feeling decision-making, increased the likelihood of utilitarian responses and decreased deontological ones. We suggest that the increase in utilitarian judgments is a result of inducing high construal, increasing psychological distance and giving rise to an abstract representation of actions. A fourth experiment (N = 1211), where we measured psychological distance, provided some first evidence for our hypotheses. This is one of the first studies to look at the impact of the digital age on moral judgments and the results presented have consequences for understanding moral choice in our increasingly virtualized world.
-
(2017) : On the moral implications and restrictions surrounding affective computing In: Jeon, Myounghoon: Emotions and affect in human factors and human-computer interaction: San Diego, CA: Elsevier Academic Press, S. 143-161
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-801851-4.00005-7 Abstract: One could easily write a paper 'On the Moral Implications and Restrictions Surrounding Baseball Bats' that would parallel the argument developed in this chapter. If we’re going to play baseball, we need the bat, and, in the context of the game, it is morally neutral. But if used to beat someone over the head or to threaten a human into submission, it starts to take on moral dimensions. So too, if we’re going to build artificial agents that are fully effective in interacting with human beings, then simulated affects are necessary. They can be misused, of course. This observation does not preclude the rather large question of whether we should even be playing this game. The question is futile, and the advancement of affective machines is inevitable. The game is already afoot. The moral dimensions of affective computing come primarily from the fact that it can intensify dispositions already at play in human life, in marketing, video games, human–computer interfaces, etc. This in no way trivializes the need to understand the moral impact of affective computing. On the contrary, it presents us with an urgency to use it to promote the basic precepts and principles of human decency. A further analogy will help. Today we are capable of engaging in global warfare utilizing weapons of mass destruction. We can commit genocide and even destroy the whole human habitat. Our ability to do so arises from the exponential pace of technology, which is now outstripping the speed of human comprehension and legislation. This invites caution about adopting technologies too soon, but little can be done to stop their development. The situation, it would seem, is not that humans are less moral now that we can kill more people, but that we have failed to direct attention to the heart of the problem, which is human decency in general. Thus, we find that affective computing is morally neutral, just as most technology is. The morally relevant factor is what it is used for and how it is used. Caution is in order. Good people will use it well. Bad people will not. For now, this is about all that can be said. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
-
(2017): The effects of cognitive biases and imperfectness in long-term robot-human interactions. Case studies using five cognitive biases on three robots. In: Cognitive Systems Research 43, S. 266-290. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2016.07.007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2016.07.007 Abstract: The research presented in this paper demonstrates a model for aiding human-robot companionship based on the principle of ‘human’ cognitive biases applied to a robot. The aim of this work was to study how cognitive biases can affect human-robot companionship in long-time. In the current paper, we show comparative results of the experiments using five biased algorithms in three different robots such as ERWIN, MyKeepon and MARC. The results were analysed to determine what difference if any of biased vs unbiased interaction has on the interaction with the robot and if the participants were able to form any kind of ‘preference’ towards the different algorithms. The experimental presented show that the participants have more of a preference towards the biased algorithm interactions than the robot without the bias.
-
(2017): Recent trends in social aware robot navigation. A survey. In: Robotics and Autonomous Systems 93, S. 85-104. DOI: 10.1016/j.robot.2017.03.002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2017.03.002 Abstract: With the robots tending to accumulate more and more capabilities beyond the level of acting in a deterministic fashion, the idea of introducing them into our every day lives seems to be closer now. Robotics systems and techniques appeared during the recent years have achieved astonishing potential to perceive and interpret their surrounding not only as low level features but also close to human understandable concepts. Such advances, in conjunction with the aspiration to incorporate robots into domestic or public places, led to the flourishing of fields dealing with their response in human presence. Following this notion, the field of social mapping was recently introduced in order to manage the shared space among robots and individuals in an ordinary fashion. This manuscript aims to systemize the recent literature by describing the required levels of robot perception, focusing on methods related to robot’s social awareness, the availability of datasets these methods can be compared with, as well as issues that remain open and need to be confronted when robots operate in close proximity with humans.
-
(2017): That robot touch that means so much. On the psychological effects of human-robot touch. Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg-Essen. Online verfügbar unter http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:464-20170201-113456-7.
Abstract: Examined the physiological and psychological effects of human-robot touch. Four empirical studies were conducted that untangled the perception of human-robot touch referring to research on interpersonal touch, to test whether the media equation also applies to a fundamental interpersonal phenomenon such as touch. Therefore, the perception of different forms of human-robot touch with different robots in different interaction contexts were first considered by means of observation and evaluation of photographs. In addition, the underlying appraisal process that decides upon the final reaction to robot touch was theoretically and practically considered based on expectancy violations theory. In Studies 1-3 a total of 579 participants (aged 18-68 years) completed qualitative interviews (Study 1), questionnaires (Study 2), or an online experiment (Study 3). Studies 1 and 2 specifically examined the perception, interpretation, and evaluation as well as acceptance of HRT. Study 3 investigated the influence of context on the interpretation and evaluation of HRT. The questionnaires and surveys contained items from the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), Need for Interpersonal Touch Scale (NFIPT), Touch Avoidance Measure (TAM), Negative Attitudes towards Robots Scale (NARS), Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS), Interpersonal Attraction Scale (IAS), and Attributional Confidence Scale (CL-7). In Study 4, actual touch initiated by a robot to 49 participants (aged 18-30 years) in a laboratory experiment were regarded and analyzed with respect to the impact of robot touch on participants' subjective evaluation, as well as on observable reactions as laughing, compliance and helping. Participants completed the SAM, NARS, NFIPT, Relational Communication Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Interpersonal Communication Satisfaction Inventory, Robot Anxiety Scale (RAS), and UCLA Loneliness Scale. In conclusion, influencing variables that determine the desirability of human-robot touch were revealed, namely characteristics of the robot (morphology and size), characteristics of the person (e.g., attitudes towards touch, attitudes towards robots, touch expectancies), the intimacy and direction of touch, i.e., who touches whom, and the meaning assigned to human-robot touch regarding relational interpretations of closeness and affection. Finally, positive emotional reactions to actual robot-initiated touch, and heightened compliance could be observed in Study 4.
-
(2017): Adolescent communication and its relationship to emotional-social intelligence. ProQuest Information & Learning, US.
Abstract: Over the past two decades the way in which we communicate has changed drastically with the evolution of mobile phones and the Internet. Professionals in the field of psychology have raised concerns regarding the impact these changes are having on the adolescent population. Research in this area has been vacillating between both positive and negative outcomes. The present study sought to identify a connection between time spent communicating though technology and emotional social intelligence (ESI), defined as the ability to identify emotions in one's self and others, utilize that knowledge effectively, and cope with the stress of normal life (Bar-On, 2006). In this study, 74 students from a high school in northern New Jersey completed two self report measures, the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (Short) and a technology survey, which asked participants to estimate the amount of time they spend engaging with friends and family both face-to-face and through technology. Results suggest that time spent communicating through technology has no relationship to general ESI. However, a closer look at the components of ESI, resulted in the identification of statistically significant relationships. Contrary to the hypothesis, the more time participants reported communicating through technology, the higher their scores on the Interpersonal scale. Increased time communicating through technology was also related to decreases in the Stress Management scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
-
(2017): Human Emotional Behavior Simulation in Intelligent Agents. Processes and Architecture. In: Procedia Computer Science 104, S. 517-524. DOI: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.01.167
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2017.01.167 Abstract: The paper describes and discusses processes needed for human emotional behaviour simulation, in particular, emotion incorporation into rational thinking, as well as presents corresponding agent architecture. Such system would enable various application fields, perhaps one of the most important being enhancing smart devices with emotions. Decreasing frequency of social contact has become an urgent issue, particularly among young people. Emotional and social intelligence are however highly desired set of skills which is impossible to develop without interacting with others. Although this problem has been acknowledged, and there are some efforts to facilitate social contact, e.g., by augmented virtual reality games, that is still not enough. There is a need to develop environment that would allow learning exactly social and emotional skills. This on-going research aims at developing intelligent agents that are able to express and incorporate affects into rational processes.
-
(2017): The relationship between gender and mobile technology use in collaborative learning settings. An empirical investigation. In: Computers & Education 113, S. 61-74. DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2017.05.005
Abstract: Mobile technology offers educators new potential for course and learning material construction. Empirical best practices research is scarce, particularly in secondary and higher education settings. This article provides a field experiment using a 2 (individual vs. group) x 2 (text vs. video) design in a secondary school context with students engaged in learning activities related to either text or video content on mobile devices. We structured material to benefit either individual or collaborative learning practices and examined gender as a critical factor to understand ways to improve teaching approaches. The study used an ANOVA with repeated measures to understand impacts of various attributes on outcomes such as material experience duration, perceived peer influenced learning, satisfaction, perceived understanding, and performance. This study provides empirical evidence in a mobile learning environment that suggests female students engaged in group learning modes, supported with video material, had different engagement patterns than male students. Females spent more time in the application consistent with earlier research suggesting females are more likely to use strategies such as active listening, asking questions, and soliciting input. In addition, female students engaged in group learning mode, supported with video material, had higher peer-influenced learning scores than male students. Holistically, this evidence supports the view that females use learning strategies that benefit from group learning and features provided by mobile technologies. The results help direct future research regarding design and implementation of learning in secondary school settings and may help remove gender disparities. zitiert von 2
Keywords: Cooperative/collaborative learning, Gender, Gender Studies, Geschlechterforschung, Gruppenverhalten, Human-computer interface, Improving classroom teaching, Lerntheorien, Mensch-Technik-Relation, Mobile learning, Multimedia/hypermedia systems, science direct, Secondary education, Teaching/learning strategies -
(2017): Representing social intelligence. An agent-based modeling application. In: Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures 22, S. 35-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.bica.2017.09.005
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bica.2017.09.005 Abstract: Intelligent systems are composed of autonomous components that interact each others, with and through the environment, in order to give intelligent support for reaching specific objectives. In such kind of systems the environment is an active part of the system itself and provides input for runtime changing and adaptation. Modeling and representing systems like this is a hard task. In this paper we propose a biologically inspired approach that combined with the use of Agent-Based Modeling allows to create a means for analyzing emergent needs of the system at runtime and converting them into useful intelligent services to be provided. The experiment proposed for validating and illustrating the approach refers to the construction of smart university campus.
-
(2017): Venturing into the uncanny valley of mind—The influence of mind attribution on the acceptance of human-like characters in a virtual reality setting. In: Cognition 160, S. 43-50. DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.12.010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2016.12.010 Abstract: For more than 40years, the uncanny valley model has captivated researchers from various fields of expertise. Still, explanations as to why slightly imperfect human-like characters can evoke feelings of eeriness remain the subject of controversy. Many experiments exploring the phenomenon have emphasized specific visual factors in connection to evolutionary psychological theories or an underlying categorization conflict. More recently, studies have also shifted away focus from the appearance of human-like entities, instead exploring their mental capabilities as basis for observers' discomfort. In order to advance this perspective, we introduced 92 participants to a virtual reality (VR) chat program and presented them with two digital characters engaged in an emotional and empathic dialogue. Using the same pre-recorded 3D scene, we manipulated the perceived control type of the depicted characters (human-controlled avatars vs. computer-controlled agents), as well as their alleged level of autonomy (scripted vs. self-directed actions). Statistical analyses revealed that participants experienced significantly stronger eeriness if they perceived the empathic characters to be autonomous artificial intelligences. As human likeness and attractiveness ratings did not result in significant group differences, we present our results as evidence for an “uncanny valley of mind“ that relies on the attribution of emotions and social cognition to non-human entities. A possible relationship to the philosophy of anthropocentrism and its “threat to human distinctiveness” concept is discussed.
-
(2017): When robots appear to have a mind: The human perception of machine agency and responsibility. In: New Ideas in Psychology, S. 93-100. DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2017.11.001
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2017.11.001 Abstract: An important topic in the field of social and developmental psychology is how humans attribute mental traits and states to others. With the growing presence of robots in society, humans are confronted with a new category of social agents. This paper presents an empirical study demonstrating how psychological theory may be used for the human interpretation of robot behavior. Specifically, in this study we applied Weiner's Theory of Social Conduct as a theoretical background for studying attributions of agency and responsibility to NAO robots. Our results suggest that if a robot's failure appears to be caused by its (lack of) effort, as compared to its (lack of) ability, human observers attribute significantly more agency and, although to a lesser extent, more responsibility to the robot. However, affective and behavioral responses to robots differ in such cases as compared to reactions to human agents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
2016
-
(2016): Application of Expectancy Violations Theory to communication with and judgments about embodied agents during a decision-making task. In: International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 91, S. 24-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2016.02.002
Abstract: Because users treat embodied agents (EAs) as social actors, users hold expectations about human-to-EA communication (HtEAC) similar to those in human-to-human communication. This study extends Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) to examine how different forms of interfaces that confirm or violate user expectations affect the communication process, social judgments, ability to influence, and accuracy of recall associated with HtEAC. Positive violations of expectancy are acts or characteristics of the EA that are unexpected but evaluated favorably by the human partner. Results suggest that when the EA deviates from expectations, effects on the HtEAC process and related outcomes can be more pronounced. EAs evaluated as positive violations had more favorable effects on task attractiveness than other human or EA interaction partners. As predicted by EVT, EA interactions that were positively evaluated elicited more perceived connectedness, feelings of being understood/receptivity, and dependability than those EA interactions evaluated negatively. However, negative violations did not produce worse outcomes than negative confirmations. EVT offers a useful lens for examining the communication effects of HtEAC and points to benefits of creating EAs that evoke positive violations of expectancy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
-
(2016): Intelligent emotion and behavior based on topological consciousness and adaptive resonance theory in a companion robot. In: Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures 18, S. 51-67. DOI: 10.1016/j.bica.2016.09.004
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bica.2016.09.004 Abstract: Companion or ‘pet’ robots can be expected to be an important part of a future in which robots contribute to our lives in many ways. An understanding of emotional interactions would be essential to such robots’ behavior. To improve the cognitive and behavior systems of such robots, we propose the use of an artificial topological consciousness that uses a synthetic neurotransmitter and motivation, including a biologically inspired emotion system. A fundamental aspect of a companion robot is a cross-communication system that enables natural interactions between humans and the robot. This paper focuses on three points in the development of our proposed framework: (1) the organization of the behavior including inside-state emotion regarding the phylogenetic consciousness-based architecture; (2) a method whereby the robot can have empathy toward its human user’s expressions of emotion; and (3) a method that enables the robot to select a facial expression in response to the human user, providing instant human-like ‘emotion’ and based on emotional intelligence (EI) that uses a biologically inspired topological online method to express, for example, encouragement or being delighted. We also demonstrate the performance of the artificial consciousness based on the complexity level and a robot’s social expressions that are designed to enhance the users affinity with the robot.
-
(2016): Touch sensor for social robots and interactive objects affective interaction. In: Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 251, S. 92-99. DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2016.10.006
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2016.10.006 Abstract: The recognised importance of physical experience in empathic exchanges has led to the development of touch sensors for human–robot affective interaction. Most of these sensors, implemented as matrix of pressure sensors, are rigid, cannot be fabricated in complex shapes, cannot be subjected to large deformations, and usually allow to capture only the contact event, without any information about the interaction context. This paper presents a tactile flux sensor able to capture the entire context of the interaction including gestures and patterns. The sensor is made of alternate layers of sensitive and insulating silicone: the soft nature of the sensor makes it adaptable to complex and deformable bodies. The main features from electrical signals are extracted with the principal component analysis, and a self-organising neural network is in charge for the classification and spatial identification of the events to acknowledge and measure the gesture. The results open to interesting applications, which span from toy manufacturing, to human-robot interaction, and even to sport and biomedical equipment and applications.
-
(2016): A survey of autonomous human affect detection methods for social robots engaged in natural HRI. In: Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems 82 (1), S. 101-133. DOI: 10.1007/s10846-015-0259-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-015-0259-2 Abstract: In Human-Robot Interactions (HRI), robots should be socially intelligent. They should be able to respond appropriately to human affective and social cues in order to effectively engage in bi-directional communications. Social intelligence would allow a robot to relate to, understand, and interact and share information with people in real-world human-centered environments. This survey paper presents an encompassing review of existing automated affect recognition and classification systems for social robots engaged in various HRI settings. Human-affect detection from facial expressions, body language, voice, and physiological signals are investigated, as well as from a combination of the aforementioned modes. The automated systems are described by their corresponding robotic and HRI applications, the sensors they employ, and the feature detection techniques and affect classification strategies utilized. This paper also discusses pertinent future research directions for promoting the development of socially intelligent robots capable of recognizing, classifying and responding to human affective states during real-time HRI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Keywords: affect classification models, Affective Valence, automated affect detection, Body language, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, Human Computer Interaction, human-robot interactions, Mensch-Roboter-Interaktion, Mensch-Technik-Relation, multi-modal, physiological signals, physiology, Social intelligence, Soziale Intelligenz, VOICE -
(2016): Making sense of social robots: A structural analysis of the layperson's social representation of robots. In: Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée/European Review of Applied Psychology 66 (6), S. 277-289. DOI: 10.1016/j.erap.2016.07.001
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2016.07.001 Abstract: Introduction Given their novelty, social robots (i.e., robots using natural language, displaying and recognizing emotions) will generate uncertainty among users. Social representations allow making sense of the new, drawing from existing knowledge. Objective A free association questionnaire was administered to 212 Portuguese adults to identify the social representation of robot. Method Data was analysed with EVOC 2000 and SIMI 2000 software. Results The social representation of robot is organized around the ideas of technology, help and future. Differences in the representation according to age, gender and level of education where also identified. Conclusion The social representation of robot is marked by the conception of it as a tool. This contrasts with the concept of social robots as social agents. Implications for social robot's acceptance are discussed. Résumé Introduction Étant donnée leur nouveauté, les robots sociaux (i.e., qui utilisent un langage naturel et montrent et reconnaissent des émotions) vont générer un sentiment d’incertitude chez les futurs utilisateurs. Les représentations sociales permettent de donner du sens aux choses nouvelles à partir des connaissances préexistantes. Objectif Les participants (n=212 adultes portugais) effectuèrent une tâche d’association libre dans le but d’identifier la représentation sociale du robot. Méthode Les données ont été traitées à l’aide des programmes EVOC 2000 et SIMI 2000. Résultats La représentation sociale du robot est organisée autour des idées de technologie, d’aide et d’avenir. Des différences en fonction de l’âge, du genre et du niveau d’éducation sont également identifiées. Conclusion La représentation sociale du robot est marquée par la conception de celui-ci comme un outil. Cela contraste avec le concept de robots sociaux en tant qu’agents sociaux. Les implications pour l’acceptation des robots sociaux sont discutées.
-
(2016): Email-free collaboration. An exploratory study on the formation of new work habits among knowledge workers. In: International Journal of Information Management 36 (1), S. 113-125. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.11.001
Abstract: Social collaboration technologies have rapidly spread across organizations, offering a unique opportunity to improve the exchange of knowledge among employees, especially in distributed work environments. The increasing popularity of social-collaboration tools as an employee-oriented communication channel, inevitably raises questions about the future of email as its intensive use by knowledge workers is more and more perceived as being inefficient and unproductive. Through a quantitative case study methodology, this study seeks to explore the role played by the notion of habit in explaining employee knowledge sharing capability for firms implementing social collaborative practices in the context of no-email initiatives. Data collected within a large international IT services company, which is among the first firms having made such shift, were used to test the developed conceptual model. The findings suggest that habit is positively influenced by relative advantage and perceived ease of use while relative advantage was found to positively impact knowledge sharing capability. Besides, habit moderates the relationships between three attributes (relative advantage, perceived ease of use, and compatibility to a lesser extent) and knowledge sharing capability. Theoretical and practical implications developed from these findings are then discussed. zitiert von 14
-
(2016): Digital technologies in the research process: Lessons from the digital research community in the UK. In: Computers in Human Behavior 61, S. 597-608. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.053
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.053 Abstract: This paper reports on a qualitative study of the employment of digital tools, resources and services by social researchers in the UK and has a twofold aim. First, it presents the employment of digital means of research work from the stage of designing the research through to data collection and dissemination of the research results. Second, it assesses the complexity and multiplicity of digital tools, resources and services used in research as well as the complexity and range of such usage, also providing explanations as to why researchers in different disciplines use in different ways and for different purposes digital technologies of various ranges and degrees of complexity. The paper concludes that there are certain commonalities and differences in researchers' practices with digital technologies and that such practices are largely driven by researchers' expertise combined with associated disciplinary traditions and etiquette. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
2015
-
(2015): Evaluating the engagement with social robots. In: International Journal of Social Robotics 7 (4), S. 465-478. DOI: 10.1007/s12369-015-0298-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-015-0298-7 Abstract: To interact and cooperate with humans in their daily-life activities, robots should exhibit human-like 'intelligence'. This skill will substantially emerge from the interconnection of all the algorithms used to ensure cognitive and interaction capabilities. While new robotics technologies allow us to extend such abilities, their evaluation for social interaction is still challenging. The quality of a human–robot interaction can not be reduced to the evaluation of the employed algorithms: we should integrate the engagement information that naturally arises during interaction in response to the robot’s behaviors. In this paper we want to show a practical approach to evaluate the engagement aroused during interactions between humans and social robots. We will introduce a set of metrics useful in direct, face to face scenarios, based on the behaviors analysis of the human partners. We will show how such metrics are useful to assess how the robot is perceived by humans and how this perception changes according to the behaviors shown by the social robot. We discuss experimental results obtained in two human-interaction studies, with the robots Nao and iCub respectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)