Today, there is a personal informatics system for almost any behavior (see a list at http://personalinformatics.org/tools). These systems help people collect behavioral information to explore and reflect on. Because most systems only show behavioral information, finding factors that affect one's behavior is difficult. Incorporating contextual information, such as location, may help. To explore this, I developed prototypes of IMPACT, a system for physical activity awareness with support for contextual information. Previous deployments showed that context can increase people's awareness of opportunities for physical activity and automation facilitates long-term use but reduces immediate awareness. I will develop a third prototype that supports better selection of contextual information, maintenance of immediate awareness during automated collection, and improved visualizations. I will compare the prototype in a field study to a steps-only system and identify features critical to its effectiveness. I will take the lessons learned and describe how they may apply to supporting contextual information in personal informatics systems for other types of behaviors.
Personal Informatics and Context: Using Context to Reveal Factors that Affect Behavior
1. Personal Informatics+Context
Using Context to Reveal Factors that Affect Behavior
Ian Li
Anind Dey, CMU, Co-chair
Jodi Forlizzi, CMU, Co-chair
Niki Kittur, CMU
John Stasko, Georgia Tech
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
2. Alice
• 20 years old
• Family history of heart
disease
• Wants to be more active,
but donʼt know how
because sheʼs busy
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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3. Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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5. Transcribe to Excel
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6. Active
Inactive
Inactive
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Su
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7. Factors
• Lack of time
• Lack of motivation
• Activities
Active
• Location
• People
Inactive
Inactive
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8. Location
Activity
People
Office
Shopping
Family
Active
Inactive
Inactive
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Su
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9. Location
Activity
People
Problem
Pedometer only recorded one type of
information.
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10. Physical Activity
Finance
Electricity
Diabetes
Health
Mood
http://personalinformatics.org/tools
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11. Thesis
A personal informatics system
that allows users to associate
context with behavioral information
can better reveal factors that affect
behavior, compared to systems that only
show behavioral information.
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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12. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• YES, I will show this in 3 completed
studies and my proposed work.
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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13. Location
Activity
People
Location: Park
Activity: Hiking
People: Friend
Step counts: 7531
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14. Location
Activity
People
UbiComp
Sensors
Data mining
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15. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
• Alice had to do a lot to get data and reflect
on them.
• Issues collecting data? Reflecting on
data?
• It is not as easy as just automating the
system.
• Whether the system is manual or
automated has an effect on the userʼs
awareness.
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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16. Introduction
Stage-Based Model of PI
Prototypes
Diary Study
IMPACT 1.0
IMPACT 2.0
Proposed Work
Conclusion
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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17. Introduction
Stage-Based Model of PI
Prototypes
Diary Study
IMPACT 1.0
IMPACT 2.0
Proposed Work
Conclusion
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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18. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
How do we build a PI system with context?
• Create a framework as guide in designing
personal informatics systems.
• Building a PI system involves many parts
each with their own HCI issues.
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19. Survey and Interviews
68 people who use personal informatics
Advertised the survey in blogs about
personal informatics.
What tools they use and their problems
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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20. Sample Questions
• How difficult is it to collect this personal
information?
• How do you explore this collected personal
information?
• What patterns have you found?
Transcript of the survey is at:
http://personalinformatics.org/lab/survey
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21. Analysis
Identified barriers that people experienced.
Affinity diagrams to identify themes.
Derived a model composed of:
• 5 stages
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22. 5 Stages
PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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23. 5 Stages
PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
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24. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Alice
• Wanted to become
active
• Decided to track her
physical activity
• Chose to track step
counts using a
pedometer
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25. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
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26. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Transcribe to Excel
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27. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Active
Inactive
Inactive
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28. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
The stage when people
choose what they are going
to do with their new-found
understanding of themselves.
• Alerts
• Incentives
• Suggestions
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29. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Other research have explored these different
stages in isolation
• Collection
• MyLifeBits (Gemmell et al. 2006)
• SenseCam (Hodges et al. 2006)
• Reflection
• Casual InfoVis (Pousman et al. 2007)
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30. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
1. Barriers cascade.
2. Stages are iterative.
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31. 1. Barriers Cascade.
Problems in the earlier stages can affect the
later stages.
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32. 1. Barriers Cascade.
Location
Activity
People
Office
Shopping
Family
Active
Inactive
Inactive
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33. 1. Barriers Cascade.
Problems in the earlier stages can affect the
later stages.
→ Consider all the stages when designing PI
systems.
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34. 2. Stages are Iterative.
Users may need to incorporate new types of
data, tools, and processes as they
progressed through the stages.
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35. 2. Stages are Iterative.
Location
Activity
People
Location: Park
Activity: Hiking
People: Friend
Step counts: 7531
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36. 2. Stages are Iterative.
Users may need to incorporate new types of
data, tools, and processes as they progress
through the stages.
→ Flexibility is important, but consider user
needs early to minimize missed data.
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37. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
1. Barriers cascade.
2. Stages are iterative.
3. User- or system-driven
4. Uni- or multi-faceted
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38. 3. User- vs. System-driven
The stages can be user-driven, system-
driven, or a combination of both.
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39. 3. User- vs. System-driven
Mon
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Integration
Transcribe to Excel
User-driven
Reflection
Excel graphs
System-driven
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40. 3. User- vs. System-driven
Collection
System-driven
Integration
System-driven
Reflection
System-driven
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41. 3. User- vs. System-driven
The stages can be user-driven, system-
driven, or a combination of both.
→ Explore the tradeoffs between user-driven
and system-driven stages.
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42. Uni- vs. Multi-faceted
Most personal informatics are uni-faceted.
Some personal informatics systems have
multi-faceted collection, but only support
uni-faceted reflection.
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43. Uni- vs. Multi-faceted
Users expressed desire to see associations
between different facets of their lives.
• “To understand trends in symptoms,
behaviors, and circumstances.” P26
• “If it were easily collected, information on
food intake, calories, fat, etc., would make
an interesting starting point for analysis.”
P49 who tracks medication intake
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44. Uni- vs. Multi-faceted
Location
Activity
People
Office
Shopping
Family
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Inactive
Inactive
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45. Uni- vs. Multi-faceted
Most personal informatics are uni-faceted.
→ Explore support for multiple facets
throughout the stages.
• I explore using contextual
information.
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46. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
How do we build a PI system with context?
• Created a framework to analyze PI
systems.
• When designing, consider all the stages.
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47. Introduction
Stage-Based Model of PI
Prototypes
Diary Study
IMPACT 1.0
IMPACT 2.0
Proposed Work
Conclusion
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48. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
→ Deploy prototypes in field studies.
How do we build a PI system with context?
→ Build prototypes that explore different
ways of supporting context.
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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50. Why Physical Activity?
Lack of physical activity is a common
problem that leads to obesity, diabetes, and
high blood pressure.
Lack of awareness of physical activity is one
reason why people are not active.
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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51. application. This is shown in Fig. 2c and d. network. The network inputs are the sum of signal strength
fluctuation across all monitored cells, and the number of
3.1 Sensing activity distinct cells monitored over a given time interval. The
network consists of a single layer of eight hidden neurons;
The current activity of the user is inferred using patterns of weights are learnt using back propagation. The network
fluctuation in GSM signal strength and changes to the IDs outputs the currently sensed activity for the given input
of detected cells. This method has been demonstrated as a values. The network is trained by repeatedly presenting data
Physical Activity Awareness
reliable and unobtrusive way of sensing current activity [2],
and has the advantage over the more traditional approach of
using an accelerometer in that it does not require additional
sensor hardware as in Sensay [17] and the multimodal
collected during each method of movement.
The current activity of the user is conditionally depen-
dent upon their previous activity. In order to provide instant
feedback to the user interface, the neural network deliber-
sensor board of [11]. Similarly, while the processing of ately does not model this behaviour. Instead, when deter-
physiological and biometric data could complement our mining if any additional minutes have been earned, we
approach, the benefits of encapsulating the system within a apply task knowledge based upon the output from the
mobile phone would be lost. An alternative approach would neural network over the previous two and a half minutes.
be to utilise the positioning information available from This enables noise to be filtered out and a more accurate
some mobile phone networks, however this approach representation of the users’ activities achieved. For exam-
Products
frequently involves prohibitive cost, as well as depending
upon much of the same technology as our client based
monitoring.
ple, periods of low signal strength fluctuation such as
stopping at traffic lights whilst driving can be ignored when
placed between periods of high fluctuation where many
Rather like a traditional accelerometer, the levels of distinct neighbouring cells were monitored. It could be
signal strength fluctuation change when a mobile phone is argued that activity would be more accurately inferred if a
moved. For example, Fig. 3 shows the total signal strength longer rolling filter had been applied to the GSM data.
fluctuation across all monitored cells during successive 30-s Introducing longer filters would have increased the likeli-
time periods whilst walking, remaining still and travelling hood of active minutes ‘disappearing’ from the users’
Fish’n’Steps: Encouraging Physical Activity with an Interactive Computer Game
1 2
Research
3
4
!!
Fig. 1. One participant’s display after approximately two weeks into the trial in the Fish'n
team-condition, also the public kiosk and pedometer platform, which rotated through e
the team fish-tanks. The components of the personal display include: 1) Fish Tank - Th
tank contains the virtual pets belong to the participant and his/her team members, 2) Virtu
Figure 2 The phone interface. Images a and b show screens for examining relative – The participant’s own fish in alevels:view on the right side next to the fish tank, 3) Ca
and individual activity frontal compare Daily Activity and
This Week’s Activity Images. c and d show two of the screens showing the estimated current activity level: Stationary and progress bar, personal and team ra
tions and feedback - improvement, burned calories, Walking
UbiFit Shakra
Fish ʻn Steps
etc., 4) Chat window for communicating with team members.
To evaluate the effect of Fish’n’Steps, we recruited 19 participants from the
Consolvo et al. ʼ08
Maitland et al. ʻ06
Lin et al. ʻ06
of Siemens Corporate Research to participate in a 14-week study. Two experim
conditions were designed to separately assess the impact of the virtual pet an
social influences. Application of the TTM to assess behavior that changed durin
study demonstrated that Fish’n’Steps was a catalyst of a positive change for 14 o
19 participants. This effect was evident in either an increase in their daily step
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
(for 4 participants), a change in their attitudes towards physical activity (for 3 pa
51
pants) or a combination of the two (for 7 participants). The greatest change in
52. Research on Factors
Physical activity is affected by lack of time,
choice of activities, the environment, and
social influence. (Sallis & Hovell 1990)
CDC suggests understanding of factors to
circumvent barriers to physical activity.
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53. Activity
Location
People
Physical Activity Level
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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54. Activities
Location
People
Physical Activity Level
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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55. Research on Factors
Diabetes awareness of blood sugar level and
food consumption (Frost & Smith ʼ03)
• Images of food associated with blood
sugar level.
• Used in a class where people discussed
their images and blood sugar level.
• Made a prototype, but only tested with one
person.
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56. Research on Factors
Asthma patients videotaping daily routines
found that they are in the presence of harmful
allergens more often than they realized
(Rich et al. ʻ00)
• Users videotaped daily routines, but a
trained observer looked at the video for
assessment.
• Matt Leeʼs embedded assessment work
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57. Sedentary People and Walking
Research suggests that they are less aware
of their physical activity and how to become
active (Sallis & Hovell 1990)
Focused on walking because it is easier to
integrate into daily life. (Norman & Mills 2004)
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58. Introduction
Stage-Based Model of PI
Prototypes
Diary Study
IMPACT 1.0
IMPACT 2.0
Proposed Work
Conclusion
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59. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• Run field studies with prototypes.
How do we build a PI system with context?
• Build several prototypes to try different
ways of supporting context.
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60. Introduction
Stage-Based Model of PI
Prototypes
Diary Study
IMPACT 1.0
IMPACT 2.0
Proposed Work
Conclusion
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61. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
Diary Study
How would people find factors using context?
IMPACT 1.0
Would context reveal factors that affect behavior?
IMPACT 2.0
What is the value of context in the long term?
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62. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
Collection Integration Reflection
Diary
Prototype user-driven user-driven user-driven
IMPACT 1.0
user-driven user-driven system-driven
IMPACT 2.0
combination system-driven system-driven
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63. Thesis Questions
Time-Stamped
Aggregated
End-of-Day
Real-time
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64. Date:
Time How active were you? What? Where? With whom? Time How activ
6a: 1p:
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SenseWear
Booklet
12p: 7p:
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65. Tracking
Booklet
Reflection
Date:
Time How active were you? What? Where? With whom? Time How active were you? What? Where? With whom?
6a: 1p:
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No Feedback
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No Feedback
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Time How active were you? What? Where? With whom? Time How active were you? What? Where? With whom?
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Aggregated
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Real-time
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Time How active were you? What? Where? With whom? Time How active were you? What? Where? With whom?
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7a: 2p:
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Time-Stamped
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10a: 5p:
End-of-Day
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66. Setup
4 female participants (A1-A4)
• Ages 25-50
• Sedentary. Pre-screened using Stages of
Exercise Behavior Change (Marcus et al. 1998)
Audio-taped interviews every week
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67. SenseWear Tracking
Booklet
No Pedometer SenseWear
Physical Activity Graph Printouts
Information
1 2 3
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68. Results
Excellent compliance over 3 weeks
• At least one activity recorded per hour
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69. In all phases, participants found factors
that affected their physical activity.
Week 1, A3:
“Writing down had an effect. I would think ʻOh
good I have something active to write down.ʼ
Like when I would carry my laundry to the
Laundromat on foot.”
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70. In all phases, participants found factors
that affected their physical activity.
Week 2, A1:
“It was nice to see that I walked more than I
did. There was one day when I was
babysitting. I walked so much with the
baby. I walked all over campus.”
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71. FRI DEC 8, 2:03 ... Start Time
Matching SenseWear graph printouts End Time
- Fri Dec 8, 2006 05:14 AM
Session end - Fri Dec 8, 2006 02:03 PM
with booklet entries.
End
2:03 PM
FRI DEC 8, 2:03 ... Start Time
- Fri Dec 8, 2006 05:14 AM
End Time
Session end - Fri Dec 8, 2006 02:03 PM
Start End
5:14 AM 2:03 PM
Active ... Physical Activity (2.5 ME... Step Count Lying Do... Sleep Duration of Vi...
438 cal 1 hr 43 m... 11346 Not detect... Not detect... 8 hrs 49 m...
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72. Matching SenseWear graph printouts
with booklet entries.
Week 3, A2:
“The paper feedback [SenseWear] told me
when the intensity was greater than other
times, so I was able to gauge my activities
like if I just walk upstairs…I was calling them
in the diary ʻaerobic mini burstʼ.”
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73. Matching SenseWear graph
printouts with booklet entries.
Week 3, A1:
“I had a lot of data, probably too much to
decipher, but it was good. I didnʼt really
compare everything to my booklet, only the
peaks on the charts to see what I was
doing.”
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74. Detailed reflection
Immediate awareness
Time-Stamped
Aggregated
End-of-Day
Real-time
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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75. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• Participants made associations between
their physical activity and contextual
information helping them become aware of
factors that affected their physical activity.
→ Can we do this in a field study of a
prototype with more people?
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76. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
Collection Integration Reflection
Diary
Prototype user-driven user-driven user-driven
IMPACT 1.0
→ Help users make directuser-driven
user-driven
associations.
system-driven
→ Value2.0 aggregated real-time info and
IMPACT in
end-of-day combination
time-stamped info.
system-driven
system-driven
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78. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
Diary Study
How would people find factors using context?
IMPACT 1.0
Would context reveal factors that affect behavior?
IMPACT 2.0
What is the value of context in the long term?
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79. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
Collection Integration Reflection
Diary
Prototype user-driven user-driven user-driven
IMPACT 1.0
user-driven user-driven system-driven
IMPACT 2.0
combination system-driven system-driven
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80. Pedometer
Booklet
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81. Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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82. Plus-Context
e
Day with "
context labels
f
Table and
charts of steps
and context
g
Steps by hour
and by period
of day
Figure 3. a) Interface for recording steps. Steps-Only additions.
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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83. Pedometer
Booklet
Web Site
IMPACT 1.0
Steps-Only
Steps-Only
Steps-Only
Baseline
Steps-Only
No Vis
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84. Setup
30 participants (B1-B30)
• Sedentary. Pre-screened using Stages of
Exercise Behavior Change (Marcus et al. 1998)
Questionnaires at the end of each phase
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85. Steps-Only IMPACT 1.0
Baseline
IMPACT 1.0 Steps-Only
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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86. Results
Same level of physical activity awareness
between Steps-Only and IMPACT
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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87. Greater awareness of factors
After using IMPACT, participants
self-reported greater awareness of factors
that affect physical activity (5-point Likert
scale)
3.93 (IMPACT) vs. 3.57 (Steps-Only)
F[1,58] = 5.32, p < .05
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88. Greater awareness of factors
Mentioned context
• “It has been interesting to see what times
of the day I'm most active.” B17
• “It turns out I get the most walking done to
and from work, which I can't say I wasn't
expecting, but I also had no idea that
walking around Squirrel Hill for just an
hour or two made such a difference.” B24
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89. Greater awareness of factors
Mentioned Context Mentioned Context
Excluding Time
IMPACT 1.0 18 out of 30
13
Steps-Only 13 out of 30
7
Control 11 out of 30
6
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90. IMPACT was rated most useful
“The [context] I used the most was the one
asking who I was with during my most active
periods…I hadnʼt realized that I was so
sedentary most of the time I spent with my
friends.” B1
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91. But IMPACT was harder to use
17 of 30 participants preferred Steps-Only.
“IMPACT gave a lot of cool information, but
having to input all the various factors was a
hassle.” B4
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92. Problem can be fixed
Those who preferred Steps-Only said:
• “There were times I wanted to explain my
context.” B22
• “IMPACT should be provided as an option.” B30
90% reported they would continue using
IMPACT if collection of context was
automated.
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93. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• Context can increase awareness of factors
that affect physical activity.
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94. Collection
Thesis Questions
Integration Reflection
Diary
How do we build a PI system with context?
Prototype
Collection
user-driven Integration
user-driven Reflection
user-driven
IMPACT 1.0
Diary
user-driven user-driven system-driven
Prototype user-driven user-driven user-driven
Visualizations
IMPACT 2.0
IMPACT 1.0 combination system-driven system-driven
→ Users need help collecting and integrating
user-driven user-driven system-driven
IMPACT over a long period of time.
data 2.0
combination system-driven system-driven
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96. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
Diary Study
How would people find factors using context?
IMPACT 1.0
Would context reveal factors that affect behavior?
IMPACT 2.0
What is the value of context in the long term?
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97. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
Collection Integration Reflection
Diary
Prototype user-driven user-driven user-driven
IMPACT 1.0
user-driven user-driven system-driven
IMPACT 2.0
combination system-driven system-driven
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99. IMPACT 2.0
Bluetooth GPS
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100. IMPACT 2.0
Context Input
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101. IMPACT 2.0
Bluetooth Sync
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102. Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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103. Mobile Phone
Web Site
IMPACT 2.0
GPS
Context Input
Steps-Only
Steps-Only
Steps-Only
Control
Steps-Only
No Vis
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104. Setup
35 participants (C1-C35)
• Sedentary. Pre-screened using Stages of
Exercise Behavior Change (Marcus et al. 1998)
Questionnaires at the end of each phase
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105. Baseline Phase Intervention Phase
Control
Control IMPACT 2.0
Steps-Only
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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106. Results
Complaints were not about the tedium of
writing things down, but about having to carry
multiple devices.
• “I would not like carrying two devices (GPS
and phone), that was too much.” C30
• “I would use [the prototype] if I could use
the software on my own cell phone.” C17
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107. Awareness of factors increased for
all groups between the phases
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F[2,32] = 3.98, p = .0547
Ian Li Personal Informatics+Context Thesis Proposal
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108. Similar awareness of factors
Mentioned Context Mentioned Context
Excluding Time
IMPACT 2.0 8 out of 11
6
Steps-Only 8 out of 12
3
Control 6 out of 12
5
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109. Long-term reflection
What is the value of contextual information in
the long-term?
6-months later when they were more likely to
have forgotten the data
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110. Follow-Up Interviews
Participants:
• Control (5)
• Steps-Only (6)
• IMPACT 2.0 (3)
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111. Follow-Up Interviews
Expressed interest in comparing over long
periods of time.
Curious about the peaks in physical activity.
But only those who collected contextual
information had reminders of what happened
during those peaks.
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112. Collection vs. Reflection
Short-term Long-term
Reflection
Reflection
Manual GOOD
NOT GOOD
Collection
Automated NOT GOOD
GOOD
Collection
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113. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
Automation has an effect:
• In the short term, reduced interaction with
context data so not difference in
awareness of factors.
• In the long term, users had data to
effectively reflect on factors.
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114. Diary Thesis Questions
Prototype user-driven user-driven user-driven
How do we build a PI system with context?
IMPACT 1.0
Collection
user-driven Integration
user-driven Reflection
system-driven
Diary
IMPACT 2.0
Prototype combination
user-driven
system-driven
user-driven
system-driven
user-driven
IMPACT 1.0
• Automation is valuable in the long term,
user-driven user-driven system-driven
IMPACT 2.0as useful in the short term.
but not
combination system-driven system-driven
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115. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• Diary Study and IMPACT 1.0: YES
Context can increase awareness of factors
that affect physical activity.
• IMPACT 2.0: DEPENDS
Automation reduces immediate
awareness, but helps with long-term
reflection.
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116. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
Collection Integration Reflection
Diary Need visualization
Prototype Support
user-driven user-driven user-driven
Need to reduce burden
IMPACT 1.0 of Collection and
user-driven user-driven system-driven Integration stages.
Consider the effect of
IMPACT 2.0 automation on
combination system-driven system-driven immediate awareness.
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117. Introduction
Stage-Based Model of PI
Completed Work
Diary Study
IMPACT 1.0
IMPACT 2.0
Proposed Work
Conclusion
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119. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• How do people use context in the
visualizations to find factors that affect
behavior?
• How do we support comparison
between different types of context?
• Infer cause-and-effect?
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120. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
• Reduce the cost of using personal
informatics system while increasing
awareness of factors that affect physical
activity.
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122. Collection Integration Reflection
Diary Need visualization
Prototype Support
user-driven user-driven user-driven
Need to reduce burden
IMPACT 1.0 of Collection and
user-driven user-driven system-driven Integration stages.
Consider the effect of
IMPACT 2.0 automation on
combination system-driven system-driven immediate awareness.
Design semi-
IMPACT 3.0 automated collection
combination system-driven system-driven without losing
immediate awareness
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123. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION
ITERATIVE
Forced users to collect three types of
contextual information.
• Some of them may not have been useful,
i.e. they are incurring a cost in Collection,
but not providing a benefit during
Reflection.
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124. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION
ITERATIVE
The prototypes did not support context other
than activity, location, and people.
• Weather
• Mood
• Nutrition
• Other data sources: calendar, email
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125. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION
ITERATIVE
The prototypes did not count other types of
physical activity.
• Swimming
• Biking
• Sports
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126. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION
ITERATIVE
• Allow users to select factors that is
important to them.
• Support factors other than activity,
location, and people.
• Count other types of physical activity.
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127. BARRIERS CASCADE
The prototypes experienced several barriers
that affected their usage.
Subsequent prototypes addressed some of
these barriers.
Keep these in mind!
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128. IMPACT 3.0 Requirements
1. Maintain immediate awareness in semi-
automated collection.
2. Give choices for other types of context
and physical activity.
3. Explore visualizations of context and
physical activity.
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129. 1. Maintain Immediate Awareness
Low-cost manual collection where
visualizations are shown after input.
(ES+feedback, Hsieh et al. 2008)
• Once during the day, the system asks the
user to input data manually. After, the user
shows visualizations to the user of other
automatically collected information.
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130. 1. Maintain Immediate Awareness
Encourage daily use of the visualizations.
• Alert the user of an interesting fact.
• “You were active while walking in the
park.”
• Make it easy for users to find what they
are looking for.
• Direct users to the graph that would
answer their question.
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131. 2. Other types of context and PA
Integrate other sources of context
• Online weather information
• Event information from calendars
• Status updates
• Other personal informatics tools (e.g.,
MoodJam, your.flowingdata)
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132. 2. Other types of context and PA
Allow logging of other physical activity.
Equate amount of physical activity with
amount of walking
• 1 hour of softball = 30 minutes of walking
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134. 3. Explore Visualizations in Detail
Problems occurred in stages before
Reflection, now I can explore this stage in
detail.
• Visualizations for comparing between
instances of physical activity
• Visualizations for making cause-and-effect
associations between context and physical
activity
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135. 3. Explore Visualizations in Detail
Housework
Shopping
Same Physical Activity Level
Different Context
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136. 3. Explore Visualizations in Detail
Office
Office
Different Physical Activity Level
Same Context
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137. Setup
40 participants
• Sedentary and active
Questionnaires at the end of each phase
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138. Baseline Phase Intervention Phase
IMPACT 3.0
Control
Steps-Only
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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139. Awareness Effects
Higher awareness of factors that affect
physical activity.
Maintain immediate awareness even when
collection is semi-automated.
Increased interest in the visualizations
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140. Psychological Effects
Higher locus of control
Higher self-efficacy
Self-reports of change in physical activity
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141. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• Deployment of a personal informatics
system that has minimal cost in collection
without loss in benefit in reflection.
• Exploration of how people use context in
visualizations to find factors that affect
behavior.
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142. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
• Designs that reduce the cost of using
personal informatics system while
increasing awareness of factors that affect
physical activity.
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143. Limitation
Focus on physical activity.
• PI systems share the same stages.
• Revealing factors that affect behavior
benefits the user.
• Diabetes (Frost & Smith 2003)
• Early work on smart meters (Betz 2010)
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144. Future Work
Sharing data.
• Many PI systems allow sharing.
• Explore the quality of discussions when
data is shared with context.
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145. Thesis Questions
Is a PI system with context better at
revealing factors that affect behavior?
• Showed that context can increase
awareness of factors that affect behavior.
• Automation reduces immediate
awareness, but helps with long-term
reflection.
• Deployed a system that doesnʼt sacrifice
long-term for immediate, vice versa.
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146. Thesis Questions
How do we build a PI system with context?
• Created the stage-based model of PI as a
framework to analyze PI systems.
• Created prototypes that support context in
field studies.
• Identified issues in supporting context and
addressed them in subsequent prototypes.
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147. Schedule
2010
p
m
co
I
bi
H
U
C
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Prototype Analysis
IMPACT 3.0 Development
Deployment
Analysis
Write Dissertation
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148. Thank you!
To my advisors, Anind Dey and Jodi Forlizzi, and the rest of my
committee, Niki Kittur and John Stasko.
To people who have helped discussions, pilot studies:
Gary Hsieh, Scott Davidoff, Erin Walker, Karen Tang, Matt Easterday,
Amy Ogan, Amy Hurst, Ruth Wylie, Moira Burke, Matt Lee, Gabi Marcu,
Queenie Kravitz, Min Kyung Lee, Turadg Aleahmad, Tawanna Dillahunt,
Brian Lim, Chloe Fan, Jenn Marlow, Jason Wiese, Sunyoung Kim,
Aubrey Shick, Chris Harrison, Julia Schwarz, Bilge Mutlu, Andy Ko,
Johnny Lee, Ido Roll, Jeff Nichols, Jeff Wong, Sara Kiesler, Laura
Dabbish, Scott Hudson, Tessa Lau, Jaime Teevan, Fernanda Viegas,
Jon Froehlich, UISTʼ09 and UbiCompʼ09 Symposia attendants,
Alexandra Carmichael, Gary Wolf, Nathan Yau, Nicholas Felton, Ellie
Harrison, Edison Thomaz
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