Dissertation Proposal Defense - Annuska Zolyomi
You are cordially invited to join us for the Dissertation Proposal Defense of Annuska Zolyomi, to be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, beginning at 1 p.m. in Mary Gates Hall Room 211 B. Below, you will find the dissertation proposal abstract and the Supervisory Committee.
Title: Designing to Improve the Agency of Autistic Adults in Technology-Mediated Collaboration
Abstract:
As we collaborate in our work and personal lives, we navigate not only the projects at hand but also social relationships. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) often strives to support collaboration by conveying an individual’s social-emotional cues, such as facial expressions, that may be intuitively interpreted by collaborators. However, people with the neurological developmental condition of autism have difficulties with communication, social interactions, and rigid behaviors. Autistic individuals describe exploring the world through embodied sense-making that helps them moderate sensory inputs, such as bright lights and loud sounds. My dissertation research investigates the strategies that autistic adults employ to increase their sense of agency in technology-mediated collaboration. My proposed research is a three-phase study on the socio-technical sensory experiences of autistic adults. By articulating the critical importance of sensory experiences, especially for autistic users, my dissertation aims to expand our understanding of what it means have more “human-like” experiences with technology.
Supervisory Committee:
- Jaime Snyder (Chair)
- David Hendry
- Julie Kientz
- Ilene Schwartz (GSR)