Online peer support provides space for individuals to connect with others and seek support. However, while empathy is critical for effective support, studies have found that highly empathetic support on these platforms can be rare. Using data from online peer support platforms, we conducted a mixed-methods analysis to study the factors that lead to support seekers’ perceived empathy. We found that CBT techniques like active listening and reflective restatements, along with fostering a space for exploration, increase perceived empathy, whereas rigid adherence to structure, misalignment of concerns, and lack of emotional validation can contribute to low perceived empathy. In addition, despite the high levels of empathy reported by most support seekers (85%), computational models reported low averaged empathy (1.69/6). Lastly, we propose that empathy is not a quantifiable metric and that future algorithmic empathy measurements require human perspectives.
Messaging is a ubiquitous digital communication medium. It is also a minimal medium of communication because of its inability to convey immediate feedback, tone, facial expressions, hesitations, and pauses, or follow the train of the other person’s thoughts. This paper combines quantitative and qualitative approaches for analyzing richer forms of typing indicators in messaging interfaces, such as showing text as it is typed. By assessing users’ subjective workload and interpreting these findings in the context of users’ experiences, we found that more expressive typing indicators were perceived as “rich in communication”, as they helped people communicate more allowing for closer connections. These indicators also increased users’ perceived co-presence. In addition, our research suggests there may be benefits of designing customized typing indicators for relationship maintenance and task-based communication.
2021
INTERACT
Designing Parental Monitoring and Control Technology: A Systematic Review
Zainab Iftikhar, Qutaiba Rohan ul Haq, Osama Younus, Taha Sardar, and 3 more authors
In Human-Computer Interaction–INTERACT: 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference , 2021
An increasing number of children around the world are spending a significant amount of time online today. Unfiltered access to the Internet exposes them to potential harms, which can have detrimental effects in the crucial stages of their life. Parental control tools play a vital role in empowering parents to regulate their children’s Internet usage. In this work, we present a systematic review of literature on the design of these tools from the last decade, synthesize design guidelines proposed so far, identify gaps in the literature, as well as highlight future opportunities for the HCI community.
JMIR
Technology, privacy, and user opinions of COVID-19 mobile apps for contact tracing: Systematic search and content analysis
Mahmoud Elkhodr, Omar Mubin, Zainab Iftikhar, Maleeha Masood, and 3 more authors
The Global South is a reference to the underdeveloped regions of the world and though it is often synonymous with the marginalisation of people through living standards and access to resources, not everyone falls under this margin. The children in the margins in the Global South encompasses those with little or no access to modern communication, technologies and academic resources. This spectrum also includes children with learning and developmental disabilities, mental and physical health issues and hostile home or school environments. Marginalization in the Global South places a significant portion of the children at an elevated risks of inequality from lack of access, knowledge and training of ICTs to digital exclusion. Moreover, the recent global pandemic has exacerbated these challenges. This workshop aims at tracing research lines and questions around methodological and technological in designing tools to support children on the margins in the Global South.