Computing and Information Systems - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableUnderstanding How to Administer Voice Surveys through Smart Speakers(Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2022-11-11)Smart speakers have become exceedingly popular and entered many people's homes due to their ability to engage users with natural conversations. Researchers have also looked into using smart speakers as an interface to collect self-reported health data through conversations. Responding to surveys prompted by smart speakers requires users to listen to questions and answer in voice without any visual stimuli. Compared to traditional web-based surveys, where users can see questions and answers visually, voice surveys may be more cognitively challenging. Therefore, to collect reliable survey data, it is important to understand what types of questions are suitable to be administered by smart speakers. We selected five common survey questionnaires and deployed them as voice surveys and web surveys in a within-subject study. Our 24 participants answered questions using voice and web questionnaires in one session. They then repeated the same study session after 1 week to provide a "retest'' response. Our results suggest that voice surveys have comparable reliability to web surveys. We find that, when using 5-point or 7-point scales, voice surveys take about twice as long as web surveys. Based on objective measurements, such as response agreement and test-retest reliability, and subjective evaluations of user experience, we recommend that researchers consider adopting the binary scale and 5-point numerical scales for voice surveys on smart speakers.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableWhat Could Possibly Go Wrong When Interacting with Proactive Smart Speakers? A Case Study Using an ESM Application(ASSOC COMPUTING MACHINERY, 2022)
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ItemA System for Computational Assessment of Hand Hygiene Techniques(SPRINGER, 2022-05-06)The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a six-step hand hygiene technique. Although multiple studies have reported that this technique yields inadequate skin coverage outcomes, they have relied on manual labeling that provided low-resolution estimations of skin coverage outcomes. We have developed a computational system to precisely quantify hand hygiene outcomes and provide high-resolution skin coverage visualizations, thereby improving hygiene techniques. We identified frequently untreated areas located at the dorsal side of the hands around the abductor digiti minimi and the first dorsal interosseous. We also estimated that excluding Steps 3, 6R, and 6L from the six-step hand hygiene technique leads to cumulative coverage loss of less than 1%, indicating the potential redundancy of these steps. Our study demonstrates that the six-step hand hygiene technique could be improved to reduce the untreated areas and remove potentially redundant steps. Furthermore, our system can be used to computationally validate new proposed techniques, and help optimise hand hygiene procedures.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableInferring Circadian Rhythms of Cognitive Performance in Everyday Life(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2020-01-01)Physical, mental, and behavioral processes of most living beings underlie cyclic changes, mainly governed by the day-night cycle. Investigations of these circadian rhythms have traditionally required constrained settings and invasive methods, such as repetitive blood testing and testing in sleep laboratories. Recent developments in pervasive technology, e.g., the proliferation of smartphones in our everyday lives, allow us to develop less intrusive ways to infer circadian rhythmicity in everyday settings. In this article, we present an overview of the current state of research, describe a mobile toolkit for collecting ground truth data on cognitive state fluctuations, and detail the implementation of a wearable system to unobtrusively detect alertness changes in the wild. Understanding and monitoring circadian rhythms will lead to the development of interventions to support mental health, physical health, and will ease the negative consequences of time shifts inflicted by jet lag or shift-work.
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Item“Hi! I am the Crowd Tasker” Crowdsourcing through Digital Voice Assistants(Association for Computing Machinery, 2020-04-01)Inspired by the increasing prevalence of digital voice assistants, we demonstrate the feasibility of using voice interfaces to deploy and complete crowd tasks. We have developed Crowd Tasker, a novel system that delivers crowd tasks through a digital voice assistant. In a lab study, we validate our proof-ofconcept and show that crowd task performance through a voice assistant is comparable to that of a web interface for voicecompatible and voice-based crowd tasks for native English speakers. We also report on a field study where participants used our system in their homes. We find that crowdsourcing through voice can provide greater flexibility to crowd workers by allowing them to work in brief sessions, enabling multitasking, and reducing the time and effort required to initiate tasks. We conclude by proposing a set of design guidelines for the creation of crowd tasks for voice and the development of future voice-based crowdsourcing systems.
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ItemNo Preview AvailablePage-Turning Techniques for Reading Interfaces in Virtual Environments(ACM, 2020-12-02)Virtual Reality (VR) environments offer new ways and formats to consume and process information. Despite multimedia offerings, most information remains to be presented via text. VR has the potential to deliver immersive reading experiences while compensating for some of the drawbacks of rather static e-books. To allow readers to step into virtual books, we developed a 3D reading environment with three page-turning techniques for VR. Readers either move the camera position from page to page or control the page flow as positioned in a sequential or radial arrangement. Results from a user study with 18 participants show that moving pages is perceived as more comfortable than moving the camera position while allowing for higher fluency and reading speeds. Linear page movements support readers' focus on a single page whereas the radial arrangement enables readers to jump between pages quickly. Our findings inform the design of immersive reading experiences in VR.
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ItemAccurate Measurement of Handwash Quality Using Sensor Armbands: Instrument Validation Study(JMIR Publications, 2020-03-26)Background: Hand hygiene is a crucial and cost-effective method to prevent health care–associated infections, and in 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued guidelines to encourage and standardize hand hygiene procedures. However, a common challenge in health care settings is low adherence, leading to low handwashing quality. Recent advances in machine learning and wearable sensing have made it possible to accurately measure handwashing quality for the purposes of training, feedback, or accreditation. Objective: We measured the accuracy of a sensor armband (Myo armband) in detecting the steps and duration of the WHO procedures for handwashing and handrubbing. Methods: We recruited 20 participants (10 females; mean age 26.5 years, SD 3.3). In a semistructured environment, we collected armband data (acceleration, gyroscope, orientation, and surface electromyography data) and video data from each participant during 15 handrub and 15 handwash sessions. We evaluated the detection accuracy for different armband placements, sensor configurations, user-dependent vs user-independent models, and the use of bootstrapping. Results: Using a single armband, the accuracy was 96% (SD 0.01) for the user-dependent model and 82% (SD 0.08) for the user-independent model. This increased when using two armbands to 97% (SD 0.01) and 91% (SD 0.04), respectively. Performance increased when the armband was placed on the forearm (user dependent: 97%, SD 0.01; and user independent: 91%, SD 0.04) and decreased when placed on the arm (user dependent: 96%, SD 0.01; and user independent: 80%, SD 0.06). In terms of bootstrapping, user-dependent models can achieve more than 80% accuracy after six training sessions and 90% with 16 sessions. Finally, we found that the combination of accelerometer and gyroscope minimizes power consumption and cost while maximizing performance. Conclusions: A sensor armband can be used to measure hand hygiene quality relatively accurately, in terms of both handwashing and handrubbing. The performance is acceptable using a single armband worn in the upper arm but can substantially improve by placing the armband on the forearm or by using two armbands.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableDoes Smartphone Use Drive our Emotions or vice versa? A Causal Analysis(Association for Computing Machinery, 2020-04-01)In this paper, we demonstrate the existence of a bidirectional causal relationship between smartphone application use and user emotions. In a two-week long in-the-wild study with 30 participants we captured 502,851 instances of smartphone application use in tandem with corresponding emotional data from facial expressions. Our analysis shows that while in most cases application use drives user emotions, multiple application categories exist for which the causal effect is in the opposite direction. Our findings shed light on the relationship between smartphone use and emotional states. We furthermore discuss the opportunities for research and practice that arise from our findings and their potential to support emotional well-being.