The Theory Predicament in HCI
Kasper Hornbæk, University of Copenhagen
Thursday 15th April 2021. 13:00-14:00 GMT. The Buncar.
Nothing is as practical as a good theory. Or so they say. Yet, the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) lacks theory. We rarely build theory, routinely design user interfaces without using theory, and often add empirical findings to the literature without connecting them to existing theory. This situation hurts our field by preventing cumulative knowledge building and by leaving central questions unanswered (say, about usability or interaction). In this talk, I will substantiate these claims and discuss some ways forward for theory building and theory use in HCI.