Sensemaking in unfamiliar domains can be challenging, demanding considerable user effort to compare different options with respect to various criteria. Prior research and our formative study found that people would benefit from reading an overview of an information space upfront, including the criteria others previously found useful. However, existing sensemaking tools struggle with the “cold-start” problem — it not only requires significant input from previous users to generate and share these overviews, but such overviews may also turn out to be biased and incomplete. In this work, we introduce a novel system, Selenite, which leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) as reasoning machines and knowledge retrievers to automatically produce a comprehensive overview of options and criteria to jumpstart users’ sensemaking processes. Subsequently, Selenite also adapts as people use it, helping users find, read, and navigate unfamiliar information in a systematic yet personalized manner. Through three studies, we found that Selenite produced accurate and high-quality overviews reliably, significantly accelerated users’ information processing, and effectively improved their overall comprehension and sensemaking experience.

Experiential training, where mental health professionals practice their learned skills, remains the most costly component of therapeutic training. We introduce Pin-MI, a video-call-based tool that supports experiential learning of counseling skills used in motivational interviewing (MI)through interactive role-play as client and counselor. In Pin-MI, counselors annotate, or “pin” the important moments in their role-play sessions in real-time. The pins are then used post-session to facilitate a reflective learning process, in which both client and counselor can provide feedback about what went well or poorly during each pinned moment. We discuss the design of Pin-MI and a qualitative evaluation with a set of healthcare professionals learning MI. Our evaluation suggests that Pin-MI helped users develop empathy, be more aware of their skill usage, guaranteed immediate and targeted feedback, and helped users correct misconceptions about their performance. We discuss implications for the design of experiential training tools for learning counseling skills.

Digital communication is often brisk and automated. From auto-completed messages to "likes," research has shown that such lightweight interactions can affect perceptions of authenticity and closeness. On the other hand, effort in relationships can forge emotional bonds by conveying a sense of caring and is essential in building and maintaining relationships. To explore effortful communication, we designed and evaluated Auggie, an iOS app that encourages partners to create digitally handcrafted Augmented Reality (AR) experiences for each other. Auggie is centered around crafting a 3D character with photos, animated movements, drawings, and audio for someone else. We conducted a two-week-long field study with 30 participants (15 pairs), who used Auggie with their partners remotely. Our qualitative findings show that Auggie participants engaged in meaningful effort through the handcrafting process, and felt closer to their partners, although the tool may not be appropriate in all situations. We discuss design implications and future directions for systems that encourage effortful communication.

People with mental distress are increasingly turning to one-to-one synchronous communication websites to receive peer support from other members. Though some research has identified benefits and challenges of online peer-support, there is a limited understanding of how to best prepare and scaffold for untrained peer supporters as they attempt to become skillful in an online setting. We recruited 30 (15 pairs) participants to engage in an online support conversation about procrastination problems, gave one member of each pair minimal training in the principles and strategies of motivational interviewing, and used interviews and conversation transcripts to examine challenges novice helpers faced when providing support and learning new conversational skills. We presented the helpers with two conversation goals to achieve with the conversation: building understanding, and promoting readiness for change. The research identified the common strategies the helpers used to achieve these goals and the challenges they faced. We also discuss theoretical and design implications for platform designers to better scaffold this experience.

A major reason why people don't use security tools online is that they perceive them as difficult and challenging, resulting in the lack of self-efficacy. Previous research has looked at improving user security attitude and practices through a variety of interventions, including transformational games. These games, targeted at improving security attitude and promoting change through gameplay, offer a new perspective on cybersecurity education. In this research we present the design and evaluation of Hacked Time, a desktop game that uses an integrative approach that incorporates Bandura's self-efficacy design framework to improve player self-efficacy. Using a randomized control trial (n=178), we demonstrate that our game is effective in improving player's security attitude and self-efficacy for using cybersecurity tools. We discuss how our design pattern can serve as an exemplar to enhance player self-efficacy in other fields.

Prior research shows that parents receive a number of benefits through sharing about their children online, but little is known about children?s perspectives about parent sharing. We conducted a survey with 331 parent-child pairs to examine parents? and children?s preferences about what parents share about their children on social media. We find that parents and children are in agreement in their perception of how often and how much information parents share about their children on social media. However, there is disagreement about the permission-seeking process: children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should, and parents believe they should ask for permission more often than they actually do, especially younger parents. We describe two categories of content that children are okay, or not okay, with their parents sharing about them. We offer design directions for managing parent sharing.