Abstract
Algorithmic prioritization is a growing focus for social media users. Control settings are one way for users to adjust the prioritization of their news feeds, but they prioritize feed content in a way that can be difficult to judge objectively. In this work, we study how users engage with difficult-to-validate controls. Via two paired studies using an experimental system - one interview and one online study - we found that control settings functioned as placebos. Viewers felt more satisfied with their feed when controls were present, whether they worked or not. We also examine how people engage in sensemaking around control settings, finding that users often take responsibility for violated expectations - for both real and randomly functioning controls. Finally, we studied how users controlled their social media feeds in the wild. The use of existing social media controls had little impact on user's satisfaction with the feed; instead, users often turned to improvised solutions, like scrolling quickly, to see what they want.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | CHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems |
| Subtitle of host publication | Engage with CHI |
| Publisher | Association for Computing Machinery |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781450356206, 9781450356213 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 20 2018 |
| Event | 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2018 - Montreal, Canada Duration: Apr 21 2018 → Apr 26 2018 |
Publication series
| Name | Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings |
|---|---|
| Volume | 2018-April |
Other
| Other | 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2018 |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| City | Montreal |
| Period | 4/21/18 → 4/26/18 |
Keywords
- Control settings
- Placebo effect
- Sensemaking
- Social media
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
- Software
Cite this
The illusion of control : Placebo effects of control settings. / Vaccaro, Kristen; Huang, Dylan; Eslami, Motahhare; Sandvig, Christian; Hamilton, Kevin; Karahalios, Kyratso George.
CHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Engage with CHI. Association for Computing Machinery, 2018. (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings; Vol. 2018-April).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
}
TY - GEN
T1 - The illusion of control
T2 - Placebo effects of control settings
AU - Vaccaro, Kristen
AU - Huang, Dylan
AU - Eslami, Motahhare
AU - Sandvig, Christian
AU - Hamilton, Kevin
AU - Karahalios, Kyratso George
PY - 2018/4/20
Y1 - 2018/4/20
N2 - Algorithmic prioritization is a growing focus for social media users. Control settings are one way for users to adjust the prioritization of their news feeds, but they prioritize feed content in a way that can be difficult to judge objectively. In this work, we study how users engage with difficult-to-validate controls. Via two paired studies using an experimental system - one interview and one online study - we found that control settings functioned as placebos. Viewers felt more satisfied with their feed when controls were present, whether they worked or not. We also examine how people engage in sensemaking around control settings, finding that users often take responsibility for violated expectations - for both real and randomly functioning controls. Finally, we studied how users controlled their social media feeds in the wild. The use of existing social media controls had little impact on user's satisfaction with the feed; instead, users often turned to improvised solutions, like scrolling quickly, to see what they want.
AB - Algorithmic prioritization is a growing focus for social media users. Control settings are one way for users to adjust the prioritization of their news feeds, but they prioritize feed content in a way that can be difficult to judge objectively. In this work, we study how users engage with difficult-to-validate controls. Via two paired studies using an experimental system - one interview and one online study - we found that control settings functioned as placebos. Viewers felt more satisfied with their feed when controls were present, whether they worked or not. We also examine how people engage in sensemaking around control settings, finding that users often take responsibility for violated expectations - for both real and randomly functioning controls. Finally, we studied how users controlled their social media feeds in the wild. The use of existing social media controls had little impact on user's satisfaction with the feed; instead, users often turned to improvised solutions, like scrolling quickly, to see what they want.
KW - Control settings
KW - Placebo effect
KW - Sensemaking
KW - Social media
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046941195&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85046941195&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1145/3173574.3173590
DO - 10.1145/3173574.3173590
M3 - Conference contribution
T3 - Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings
BT - CHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
PB - Association for Computing Machinery
ER -