Zacarias M., de Oliveira J.V. (eds.) Human-Computer Interaction. The Agency Perspective

Springer, 2012. — 468 p.Human-Computer Interaction (or HCI for short) is a fast-growing area of computer science. Even a very quick scan of the ongoing research reveals how dynamic the area of HCI really is. For instance, a simple query for human computer interaction using Google Books yields near 200 results encompassing text books, conference proceedings and journals. On Science Direct human computer interaction returns more than 200.000 hits. A similar search on ISI Web of Knowledge returns more than 7.000 hits. In IEEE Xplore, more than 2.500 hits. More than half of these entries have been published after 2005. These figures give us an impression about the rapid progress of the area and highlight a genuine wealth of the applications of HCI.
The discipline of HCI emerges from bringing together two different but complementary disciplines; cognitive psychology and computer science. The integrated study of these two disciplines led HCI to adopt the information-processing paradigm to model human cognition, which was key in understanding how people used computers and related devices. HCI developments encompass theoretical frameworks, models, interaction methods and devices. Nonetheless, despite the number of methods, techniques and other solutions provided for critical problems in user interface design, the information-processing approach was challenged due to its limitations demonstrated by well-known HCI researchers such as Winograd and Flores (1986) and Suchman (1987). Limitations of the information-processing paradigm included its algorithmic approach to human problem-solving and neglecting social, organizational or cultural factors of user behaviour. As a result, the scope of HCI was enlarged. The discipline now encompasses a broad collection of research topics in usability, ergonomics and human factors. This enlargement is the key in supporting novel interaction paradigms created by mobile, wearable and ubiquitous computing, tangible bits, face and gesture recognition among others.
At the same time, organizational and social paradigms have evolved and now regard organizations as complex adapting systems where the notion of agency plays a central role. Agency is a key theme that crosses several disciplines and is commonly referred to as the capability and condition of being in action or exerting power. Agents are by nature self-aware, autonomous and purposeful entities. Agent-centric perspectives dominate contemporary models of social and organizational science. Structuration theory explains the role of agency in the (re) production of societies. Agency implies the execution of actions which includes reflexive capabilities. Reflexiveness involves continuously monitoring agents environment. Activity theory analyzes particularly the formation and evolution of activities. The organizing unit is the activity, and agents are individuals and groups with motives and needs that are achieved through the usage of tools. Actor-Network Theory is a framework and systematic way to consider the infrastructure surrounding technological achievements. Its most well known feature is its assignment of agency to both human and non-human entities.
Agent-centric theories such as the aforementioned ones are being increasingly used within HCI research and are contributing to extend the scope of analysis of interactions between users and computers to the larger and more meaningful context of human activities. System usage can only be understood through the analysis of needs, motives and goals of people and their activities. Hence, rather than regarding the user at one end of the interaction and the interface at the other, users are regarded as agents interacting with objects and other agents through the interface.
Furthermore, the agency perspective on HCI research is not only driven by theoretical approaches, but also through the usage of agent-based technology. Several applications are being enhanced by developing intelligent software agents for usability or accessibility ends. Our aim is to highlight the broad influence, - theoretically or technologically driven- of the agency perspective in current HCI research.Users as Agents
Towards Happiness: Possibility-Driven Design
Balancing User and Business Goals in Software Development to Generate Positive User Experience
The User-Subjective Approach to Personal Information Management: From Theory to Practice
Agents and Accessibility
Children Psychotherapy with Mobile Devices
Designing with and for Older Adults: Experience from Game Design
Multi-Agent Systems Orientated to Assist with Daily Activities in the Homes of Elderly and Disabled People
Incorporating an Ambient Agent to Support People with a Cognitive Vulnerability
Agents and Interactions
Perspectives on Agency Interacting with and through Personal Robots
Human-Agent and Human-Robot Interaction Theory: Similarities to and Differences from Human-Human Interaction
Memory Models for Intelligent Social Companions
A Computer Architecture for Intelligent Agents with Personality and Emotions
Individualized Gesture Production in Embodied Conversational Agents
Facilitating Ubiquitous Interaction Using Intelligent Agents
Agent-Centric Paradigms and Approaches
Synergetic Recollection: How to Design Lifelogging Tools That Help Locate the Right Information
Human Cognition as a Foundation for the Emerging Egocentric Interaction Paradigm
Information Finding with Robust Entity Detection: The Case of an Online News Reader
New Opportunities in Personal Network Data Collection
Collective Agents
Culturally Aware Agent Communication
Virtual Organization for Computational Intelligence