On being wrong, solving problems, and sharpening concepts in Human-Computer Interaction
Kasper Hornbaek
Kopenhagen University
Talk
Kasper Hornbæk is a professor in computer science at the University of Copenhagen. His core research interest is human-computer interaction, including usability research, shape-changing interfaces, large displays, and information visualization. Currently he works on driving innovation in body-based user interfaces from theories of embodied cognition (supported by an ERC consolidator grant). Kasper serves on the editorial board of ACM Transactions on Human-computer Interaction and has since 2008 been involved in ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems as an associate chair.
Researchers in Human-computer Interaction face many questions about methodology. Improving the thinking tools that we use to ponder these questions is crucial for individual researchers and for our field. In this talk, I will discuss research on the replications, meta-analysis, and experimental design. This research suggests that being wrong is one such thinking tool, useful in planning and reporting research. I further argue that many methodology questions about HCI do not concern truth but rather the problem-solving capacity of research; I show some implications of this view for thinking about methodology and research. Finally, I discuss the role of concepts in HCI research, showing that many concepts that we routinely use are less well-defined than we expect, thwarting research progress.