CS295J/Literature class 3.11

• Now Where Was I? Psychologically-Triggered Bookmarking, Pan et al., CHI '11

Presents an interaction paradigm for implicitly bookmarking application progress/media during user interruptions (e.g., phone ringing) using galvanic skin response (GSR) to identify interruptions, or the orienting response (OR), automatically. The authors evaluate how well GSR works for identifying user ORs, and describe a few experiments using an audiobook listener application that creates bookmarks (stored and represented in a GUI) automatically when GSR peaks in response to controlled stimuli. In our project, we're looking at predicting user states (or effect on task performance), so this is an example of that kind of predictive affect-tracking that has been engineered into a usability feature. (Owner: Steven Gomez, Discussant: Wenjun Wang, Discussant: Nathan)

• Data Visualization Optimization Computational Modeling of Perception Ware-2011-TVCG

This paper presents a computational model of human vision that can be used to optimize and evaluate visualization systems. I think this is a great example of the application of cognitive modeling on visualization. (Owner: Hua, Discussant: Diem Tran, Discussant: ? Sep.19, 2011)

• Synchronous interaction among hundreds: an evaluation of a conference in an avatar-based virtual environmentCHI-2011

This paper presents the first in-depth evaluation of a large multi-format virtual conference. The conference took place in an avatar-based 3D virtual world with spatialized audio, and had keynote, poster and social sessions. (Owner:Wenjun Wang,Discussant:?, Discussant:?)

• Brainframe: A Knowledge Visualization System for the Neurosciences Shaw-2009-KVS

This paper begins with a brief overview of a problem plaguing the field of neuroscience today-- namely, that there is so much data available that it can't be synthesized in a useful way by researchers-- and the negative effects that arise as a result. The authors propose BrainFrame, a "knowledge management system," designed to streamline this massive amount of data in a way that is sensitive to the limitations of human cognition and perception. (Owner: Michael Spector, Discussant: Diem Tran, Discussant: Clara Kliman-Silver)

• The Challenge of Information Visualization Evaluation Plaisant-2004-CVE

The paper describes current evaluation practices being used in visualization research and challenges researchers are facing. It then suggests possible steps to improve visualization evaluation. (Owner: Diem Tran, Discussant: ?, Discussant: ?)

• Design and Evaluation of a Mobile Art Guide on iPod Touch

This paper evaluates the design principles behind an iPod app with respect to minimizing cognitive load and maximizing usability. Trade-offs between HCI technology and cognitive load are discussed. (Owner: Clara, Discussant: ?, Discussant: ?)

• On Distinguishing Epistemic from Pragmatic Action Kirsh and Maglio

This is an interesting paper for the theory of interaction. A common assumption in visualization user models is that the purpose of interaction is always to affect the state of a program. However, the authors make the argument that some interactions make more sense as techniques to make reasoning more efficient. They study players in a game of Tetris and find a high number of interactions that are not goal-directed, but which might orient the game pieces to help the user envision where they fit. Since visualization is all about understanding a data space, and goals are often open-ended, this kind of "epistemic action" may be an important part of our user models. (Owner: Caroline Ziemkiewicz, Discussion: ?, Discussant: ?)

• Attention, Habituation and Conditioning: Toward a Computational Model Balkenius-2000-AHC
  • "The central claim of this article is that attention can be controlled in the same way as actions using similar learning mechanisms and by related areas of the brain."
  • "A computational model of attention is presented that uses habituation as well as classical and instrumental conditioning to explain a number of attentional processes."
  • "Computer simulations are presented that illustrates the operation of the model."

(Owner: Nathan Malkin, Discussant: ?, Discussant: ?)

• Computational Model of Facial Attractiveness Judgements Bronstad-2008-CMF

Talk about the computational models of facial attractiveness judgements, one model uses partial least squares to identify facial images and attractive ratings, the second model uses manually derived measures of facial features as input. Results are discussed. The paper also concludes that averageness and sexual dimorphism are important for facial attractiveness judgements.(Owner: Chen, Discussant: ?, Discussant: ?)

• Interactive Visualization of Small World Graphs van Ham-2004-IVS

The brain can be considered to be a small world type network. This paper "present[s] a method to create scalable, interactive visualizations of small world graphs, allowing the user to inspect local clusters while maintaining a global overview of the entire structure." (Owner: Jenna Zeigen; Discussant: ? ; Discussant: ?)