I'm Akiri Surely

Summary

This section describes plans towards completing my dissertation, including its expected contributions and a proposed timeline. .

Short Introduction

My finding from my previous research, sparked my interest in the social construction of emotion. I carried out an evaluation of the impact of a Team Stress Reflection System in paramedic trainees. During the study, I noticed that trainees who were familiar with a member of the team whose data they were interacting with judged their stress levels more leniently even when the data presented otherwise. They use the identity of the person to make judgements about the person’s emotional reaction. The results from the study we conducted on EMS providers during the COVID-19 peak (see publication list), revealed that the interdependent nature of providers' work goes beyond their job roles and responsibility. They commune with one and another and rely on each other for support.

This led me to wonder how their social relationships (friendships) with one another affect their emotions? Does the expression of one person’s emotions serve as a cue for another? Emotions are not only shaped by, but also shape, the relationship in which they occur. Emotion and relationships can thus be said to mutually constitute each other. A quick literature search revealed that in most Affective Computing (henceforth, AC) applications, emotions have been studied outside of social contexts, socially divorced. Most researchers in the area have focused on emotion expression, embodiment and cognitive appraisals. In light of this, I considered how I can bridge this gap and maintain my research interest in helping EMS providers manage emotions?

There is a prevalence of suicide and suicidal ideation among EMS providers. Most providers have reported lack of support. Can an AC application built from a social interactionist perspective help support and possibly reduce this epidemic in providers? I am interested in the possibility of using positively socially constructed emotions in EMS suicide prevention while designing for affect for interaction. This system would work in the context of an ongoing relationship outside of the system that provides the grounds for meaning-making with the system.

Currently, I am focused on understanding, in providers, how emotions are socially constructed. Is it reflective in body or facial expressions? How do I measure affect? How do I monitor emotions?

• Type of Future Studies: Future studies would include empirical research to obtain qualitative observation and interview data, and possibly quantitative data to obtain affect signals.
• Contribution: Such an application would contribute to the study of emotions as a social construct in Affective Computing. And in the long run, possibly help with suicide prevention in the EMS population.

2021 Timeline

Spring - 2021

• Review Covid study paper with Advisor and submit to Frontiers for Health Psychology (February).
• Work on reviewing literatures to gain more knowledge on the intended dissertation area (Early March).
• Form overarching research question (Late March).
• Develop study design (April).
• Submit an extended abstract to ACII (May 25th).
• Continue work on Team Stress Reflection System - second iteration for planned additional studies (tentative to DIS reviews (May-June))

Summer - 2021 (June to August)

• Start thinking about committee members.
• Prepare application for Generation Google Scholarship.
• Work on finding dissertation grants.
• Develop study design (April).
• Start proposal document - Involve refining study design and research questions as I read more literature.

Fall 2021

• If I get accepted to ACII DC - attend Late September.
• Refine proposal document based on feedback (Early September).
• Finalize committee (Early September).
• Propose late October - Early November
• Conduct study 1 to understand EMS providers (dyad group of friends) adjust emotions socially in context (field study) to see how cues from one person influence emotional reactivity in others. How does the social context affect expression disorder? Given that providers have nirmative scripts on how to express their emotions? I will observe the context and measure the affect signal most prominent during this process. (December - January). This data will be used to guide the affect interaction system in development.

Spring 2022

• Data analysis (February - April).
• Write paper on study 1 findings (May - July).

Summer 2022

• Submit to CHI 2022 or CSCW 2022 (If I miss the CHI deadline or the work doesn’t fit the call).