We can now buy consumer brain-computer interface devices to help us meditate and focus, but what are we aiming to achieve? Mental workload (MWL) is an established concept, and as a form of personal data could be useful for making positive life changes. However, MWL is typically only studied for isolated tasks to avoid overload and underload. We investigated lived experiences of MWL, aiming to understand how tracking such data could implicate our everyday lives. 19 participants, that had previously experienced tracking their mental workload, took part in interviews and an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis identifed four superordinate themes. Results point towards mixed and changing perceptions of MWL and the importance of fuctuating between MWL levels in daily life in terms of performances, perceptions, and wellbeing. These fndings are captured in an apparent Cycle, which outside factors can disrupt, and we discuss these cycles in terms of personal informatics and work performance.
CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → Empirical studies in HCI; HCI theory, concepts and models.
Consumer neurotechnology is arriving en masse, even while algorithms for user state estimation are being actively defned and developed. Indeed, many consumable wearables are now available that try to estimate cognitive changes from wrist data or body movement. But does this data help people? It's a critical time to ask how users could be informed by wearable neurotechnology, in a way that would be relevant to their needs and serve their personal well-being. The aim of this SIG is to bring together the key HCI communities needed to address this: personal informatics, digital health and wellbeing, neuroergonomics, and neuroethics.
CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → HCI theory, concepts and models; Ubiquitous and mobile computing theory, concepts and paradigms.
With rapid growth in the development of consumer neurotechnology, it is imperative to consider the ethical implications that this might have in order to minimise consumer harm. Whilst ethical and legal guidelines for commercialisation have previously been suggested, we aimed to further this discussion by investigating the ethical concerns held by potential end users of consumer neurotechnology. 19 participants who had previously experienced mental workload tracking in their daily lives were interviewed about their ethical concerns and perceptions of this type of future neurotechnology. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach identified three superordinate themes. These related to concerns surrounding privacy, data validity and misinterpretation, and personal identity. The findings provide further validation for previous research and highlight further ethical considerations that should be factored into the commercialisation of neurotechnology.
CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → Empirical studies in HCI; HCI theory, concepts and models.
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