User Autonomy

The main strand of my research addresses user autonomy in technology use

In much work across psychology and philosophy the experience of agency and autonomy is considered key: supporting individual well-being, enjoyment and success in activities, and even the proper functioning of society. However, agency and autonomy are complex and multifaceted issues. They take in large scale issues such as the sense of steering your own life, and being able to act act in your own interests, but also more local issues such as the feeling of being powerful and effective in a game, or the experience of choice and self-expression in a social media app.

How do these various aspects of agency and autonomy relate to each other? Which aspects really matter? Can different aspects come into conflict with one another? For example: can technologies even exploit our feelings of control and efficacy to drive choices and kinds of engagement we might (paradoxically) regret?

I apply perspectives from philosophy and psychology to disentangle the various aspects of user autonomy and understand how technologies can support users in the ways that matter. I investigate how we can use data to help people develop behaviours and competencies they personally value, understand and pursue their own goals, and navigate the “ultra-processed environments” of the attention economy.

Papers

How does HCI Understand Human Agency and Autonomy?.

Beyond Intrinsic Motivation: The Role of Autonomous Motivation in User Experience

Autonomous Regulation of Social Media Use: Implications for Self-Control, Well-Being and UX

“I’m the leader and I’m going to save the world”: Characterizing Empowering and Disempowering Game Experiences