Understanding, measuring, and, invoking mindfulness and mindlessness
      during human-computer interactions
Creators: name: Long, Kiel
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2018
Subjects: Mindfulness
Mindlessness
Automaticity
Human Computer Interaction
Design
Neurophenomenology

description: This thesis questions how Mindfulness and Mindlessness might be
      understood, measured and invoked in relation to Human-Computer
      Interactions. Current designs of user interfaces often follow a design
      trend, drawing upon familiar layout and icons across a broad range of
      applications. Designers often try to make the interface easier to
      understand, familiar, and more intuitive. While the use of technologies
      that are familiar holds qualities such as low cognitive demand and ease of
      use; they hold within them an intrinsic problem. The familiarity and
      repetition in design qualities produces habitual response and reduces the
      facilities of reflection and contemplation upon the interaction.
      Subsequently this inhibits the discovery of novel solutions to challenges
      and / or formation of novel goals for the user of a technology.
      
      The primary goal of this thesis is to provide (and justify) a definition
      of Mindfulness and Mindlessness that is suitable to be applied in the
      field of human- computer interaction; and clearly describe these
      experiential and behavioural phenomena of the user of interactive
      technology. These definitions draw upon related fields to better inform
      understanding through the application of their methods of evaluation and
      advancements in understanding. Resultantly an additional goal of this
      thesis is to pave way for future work in this area in providing insight
      to, and example of, methods for the measuring of Mindfulness and
      Mindlessness that are suited to the field of human-computer interaction
      and supported in the informing related work. Lastly, this thesis holds the
      goal of situating the work in related literature of how the states of
      Mindfulness and Mindlessness might be invoked and their effect upon
      human-computer interaction. More broadly, this thesis seeks to provide the
      framing of human-computer interaction and interface design through a lens
      of Mindfulness and Mindlessness as a means of better understanding and
      designing for the distinct qualities each holds.
      
      These goals are achieved through three stages; first this body of work
      provides a pragmatic definition of Mindfulness and Mindlessness that can
      be applied to interactions with technologies. In doing so it overcomes the
      problematic qualities of directly applying previous definitions and
      facilitates further study of the phenomenon through empirical modalities
      founded in cognitive science. Second, this research provides the reporting
      of an exploratory study conducted, and findings for future works to build
      upon, in the analysis of Mindful and Mindless experiences during
      interactions with digital technologies. This is achieved through a neuro-
      phenomenological methodology, combining first person reporting alongside
      physiological measurement highlighting Mindful and Mindless interactions.
      Finally, this thesis provides insight to how the design of technologies
      can invoke Mindful and Mindless interactions and the consequences of
      these, followed by design considerations in the final conclusion.
      
      Through this the thesis addresses the Understanding, Measuring, and,
      Invoking of Mindfulness and Mindlessness During Human-Computer
      Interactions.