I know what you type: empathy in real-time typed Computer Mediated Communication

Abstract

We tend to give the design of the environments that host our daily digital interactions with other humans for granted. As we march towards a future where our digital life is always more prominent, is it time that we start asking more questions about the type of mediation that the digital tools we use operate on our social, emotional and cognitive experiences? In this thesis I will try to highlight the importance of researching experimental digital environment and tools that take into account the nature of human communication and interaction. As a stepping stone towards a clearer understanding of what we have access to, in terms of empathic relation with the "digital other", right now (and what could we aspire to in the future), this research leverages the emerging knowledge about keystrokes dynamics and typing patterns as a window on the dyadic dynamics that are observed during the experiment conducted. Given the complex nature of language and communication, observations based on affective computing research are framed in a social, neuroscientific and cultural context, as to give a complete map of the issue. While this research focuses on experimental text-based communication, I hope that many will be inspired to conduct their own studies, proposing new ways of being with the other in the digital era.