The Illusion of Agency in Human–Computer Interaction

Abstract This article makes the case that our digital devices create illusions of agency. There are times when users feel as if they in control fact merely responding to stimuli on screen predictable ways. After introduction, second section offers examples agency do not involve human–computer interaction order show such possible and terribly uncommon. The third fourth sections cover relevant work from empirical psychology, including cues known generate sense fifth shows designed deliver precisely those cues. In sixth section, argument is completed with evidence frequently use their smartphones without sort intentional supervision involved genuine includes introduction Digital Environmental Dependency Syndrome (DEDS) a way characterizing extended smartphone final article, there discussion questions raised by main claim, suggestions for reducing occurrences through software design.