Mobile manifestations of alertness: Connecting biological rhythms with patterns of smartphone app use

Elizabeth L. Murnane, Saeed Abdullah, Mark Matthews, Matthew Kay, Julie A. Kientz, Tanzeem Choudhury, Geri Gay, Dan Cosley

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Our body clock causes considerable variations in our behavioral, mental, and physical processes, including alertness, throughout the day. While much research has studied technology usage patterns, the potential impact of underlying biological processes on these patterns is under-explored. Using data from 20 participants over 40 days, this paper presents the first study to connect patterns of mobile application usage with these contributing biological factors. Among other results, we find that usage patterns vary for individuals with different body clock types, that usage correlates with rhythms of alertness, that app use features such as duration and switching can distinguish periods of low and high alertness, and that app use reflects sleep interruptions as well as sleep duration. We conclude by discussing how our findings inform the design of biologically-friendly technology that can better support personal rhythms of performance.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, MobileHCI 2016
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery, Inc
Pages465-477
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)9781450344081
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 6 2016
Externally publishedYes
Event18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, MobileHCI 2016 - Florence, Italy
Duration: Sep 6 2016Sep 9 2016

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, MobileHCI 2016

Other

Other18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, MobileHCI 2016
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityFlorence
Period9/6/169/9/16

Keywords

  • Alertness
  • Circadian rhythms
  • Mobile app use
  • Sleep

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Information Systems
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Software

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