My academic interests can be summarised (crudely) as focusing on how technology psychologically affects the user when in interaction and how technology can influence behaviour. My current research investigates how design impacts alignment in human-computer dialogue, how technologies can be used to persuade and change behaviours as well as Web 2.0 user experience, specifically anxiety in wiki editing. I am also passionate about the use of quantitative research methods and statistics in researching HCI related phenomena.
My recent research output focuses on exploring how the design of computer partners in human-computer dialogue affects the psycholinguistic concept of alignment. I am Principal Investigator on a project, funded by the British Academy and conducted in collaboration with Professor Holly Branigan , looking at how voice anthropomorphism impacts judgement of system abilities as a conversation partner and how that affects user's lexical and syntactic alignment. More information about my current work in this area can be found on YouTube .
I am currently also working on the EPSRC "Taking on the Teenagers" project, looking at ways to use behavioural psychological insight in the design of energy related behaviour change technologies for teens. This project is in collaboration with researchers at the ChiCI group at UCLAN, the FIT Lab at Swansea University, PaCT Lab at Northumbria University and the Knowledge Lab at the University of London.
My PhD investigated how system characteristics affect anxiety towards wiki editing in Higher Education. This research lies very much in the growing field of User eXperience (UX) and applies experimental psychology and usability engineering principles to gather understanding in how system features may lead to (or indeed reduce) anxious reactions towards this web 2.0 technology.
I am passionate about the application of statistics and experimental research methodology in the observation of HCI issues. I currently lecture and organise the Evaluation Methods and Statistics course at the University of Birmingham's HCI Centre, one of the core modules in the Centre's MSc in HCI. I also previously tutored the 2nd year Psychology Methodology and Statistics course at the University of Edinburgh's Psychology Department for 3 years.