Designing Interactions Beyond Conscious Control

Abstract

Recent research in psychology distinguishes levels of consciousness into a tripartite model-conscious, unconscious and metaconscious. HCI technologies largely focus on the conscious pathway for computer-to-human interaction, requiring explicit user attention and action. In contrast, the other two pathways provide opportunities to create new interfaces that can alter emotion, cognition and behavior without demands on attentional resources. These direct interfaces connect to cognitive processes that are in our perception but outside our conscious control. In this work, we feature two sub-categories, namely preconscious and metasomatic within the tripartite model of consciousness. Our goal is to provide a finer categorization of cognitive processes that can better help classify HCI research related to activating non-conscious cognitive pathways. We present the design of two wearable devices, MoveU and Frisson. From lessons learned during the iterative design process and the user studies, we present four design considerations that can be used to aid HCI researchers of future devices that influence the mind. With this work we aim to highlight that awareness of consciousness levels can be a valuable design element that can help to expand the range of computer-to-human interface devices we build. CCS Concepts: • Human-centered computing → Interaction design theory, concepts and paradigms; HCI theory, concepts and models.

Frisson Waves: Sharing Frisson to Create Collective Empathetic Experiences for Music Performances

“…For example when we feel sad while watching movies or listening to music, we can clearly perceive that our body is responding with difficult breathing, feeling a lump in the throat, or crying, etc. Jain et al [6] proposed some body responses are always hidden to the perception that they are so subliminal that we could not even notice the changing, for example when we are watching movies we can't tell how our glucose levels are changing.…”

“…This question from James-Lange theory of emotion [23] about the expression and experience of emotion can be regarded as that phenomenon of an body action could also evoke the associated emotion. Jain et al [6] proposed that interoceptive technologies means inducing emotions from the body to mind. For example, the project from Fukushima et al [24] showed that moving the muscles on the face to generate a smile may lead to the emotion of happiness in the mind.…”

“…The cause of frisson could be mainly concluded in four factors like in the formula below. Pgoosebumps = Cf(Sc + Id + Ap) 6…”

“…In the "The Thermal Feedback Influencer" [46] project that sudden cold thermal feedback in the context of listening to music is also proved to be the obvious trigger of frisson and could enhance music listening experience. The project "Frisson" [6] created a spine-attached thermal band as an aesthetic prosthesis(see Figure .2.9a)to induce emotions from the body up through interoceptive technologies. Work from Fukushima et al [7](see Figure .2.9b) and "MAGHair" [47] project controls and stimulate body hair to augment the feeling of surprises and awe.…”

Frisson Waves

“…We aim to augment the aesthetic experience through enhancing the capability of feeling frisson which is usually affected by music appreciation and training [16], personality [50], openness [13], physiological and neural features [42]. While it may not be possible to change these individual characteristics directly, we aim to mediate frisson between people using a thermohaptic approach that allows neighboring people to perceive frisson beyond their conscious control [24]. For example, if a person who is sensitive to music and appreciates music feels frisson at a specific moment in a piece, a person who receives our actuation might also feel this frisson or at the very least have their attention drawn to how special that moment is.…”