Chaunceywilson

Copyright (C) 2004 by Chauncey Wilson

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The Ethics of User-Centered The Ethics of User-Centered Design: From Minor Dilemmas to Design: From Minor Dilemmas to

Life or DeathLife or Death

Chauncey WilsonChauncey WilsonWilDesign ConsultingWilDesign Consulting


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My Interest & Background in EthicsMy Interest & Background in Ethics

Member of an institutional review board Member of an institutional review board while a grad student in social psychologywhile a grad student in social psychology

Lab manager on NIMH grant that involved Lab manager on NIMH grant that involved extremely serious ethical issuesextremely serious ethical issues

Chaired experimental design panel/human Chaired experimental design panel/human use committee at Army Human use committee at Army Human Engineering LabEngineering Lab

Participated in CHI2001 Ethics in HCI panelParticipated in CHI2001 Ethics in HCI panel Chair, UPA Ethics CommitteeChair, UPA Ethics Committee


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TopicsTopics

Definition of ethicsDefinition of ethics Ethical issues in HCIEthical issues in HCI Stakeholders you need to consider Stakeholders you need to consider

making ethical decisionsmaking ethical decisions Specific examples of ethical Specific examples of ethical

dilemmasdilemmas Support for ethical questionsSupport for ethical questions UPA code of conductUPA code of conduct QuestionsQuestions


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Definitions of EthicsDefinitions of Ethics

““The moral principles by which a person is The moral principles by which a person is guided” guided”

“The rules of conduct recognized in certain “The rules of conduct recognized in certain associations or departments of human life”associations or departments of human life”(OED Online)(OED Online)

A rational, consistent system for A rational, consistent system for determining what is right and wrongdetermining what is right and wrong Costs/benefits analysis of impact on stakeholders Costs/benefits analysis of impact on stakeholders

Moral absolutismMoral absolutism


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UPA Trial Code of ConductUPA Trial Code of Conduct

Act in the Best Interest of Everyone Act in the Best Interest of Everyone Be Honest with Everyone Be Honest with Everyone Do No Harm and If Possible Provide Do No Harm and If Possible Provide

Benefits Benefits Act with Integrity Act with Integrity Avoid Conflicts of Interest Avoid Conflicts of Interest Respect Privacy, Confidentiality, and Respect Privacy, Confidentiality, and

Anonymity Anonymity Provide All Resultant Data Provide All Resultant Data


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UCD and Ethical IssuesUCD and Ethical Issues Ethical decisions are made every dayEthical decisions are made every day Design decisions can affect attitudes, behavior, Design decisions can affect attitudes, behavior,

health, financial security, and safetyhealth, financial security, and safety New technologies present increased ethical New technologies present increased ethical

demandsdemands UCD practitioners face many issues when we UCD practitioners face many issues when we

design products and interact with stakeholdersdesign products and interact with stakeholders Codes of conduct are a start, but don’t help a Codes of conduct are a start, but don’t help a

lot with conflictslot with conflicts Case studies are needed for training in how to Case studies are needed for training in how to

handle ethical dilemmashandle ethical dilemmas Ethical training should be part of any HCI program Ethical training should be part of any HCI program


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Major Topics in EthicsMajor Topics in Ethics


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Who are the Stakeholders You Need Who are the Stakeholders You Need to Consider in Ethical Decisions?to Consider in Ethical Decisions?

SocietySociety ParticipantsParticipants My Corporation, Client, AgencyMy Corporation, Client, Agency OrganizationOrganization You and me, the individualYou and me, the individual


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Ethical IssuesEthical Issues Informed consentInformed consent PrivacyPrivacy CoercionCoercion Physical, mental, or emotional stressPhysical, mental, or emotional stress Poor treatment of participantsPoor treatment of participants DeceptionDeception Risk of compromising situationsRisk of compromising situations Increased exposure to the general risks of Increased exposure to the general risks of

everyday lifeeveryday life Working with vulnerable groupsWorking with vulnerable groups Reporting illegal or unethical behaviorReporting illegal or unethical behavior


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Ethical ConsiderationsEthical Considerations

Culture Culture ContextContext TimeTime Intended versus unintendedIntended versus unintended Predictable versus unpredictablePredictable versus unpredictable Legal versus ethical issuesLegal versus ethical issues


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Examples of Ethical Examples of Ethical Issues in UCDIssues in UCD


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Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture

Morville and the ethics of information Morville and the ethics of information architecture (2000, architecture (2000, http://argus-acia.com/strnage_connehttp://argus-acia.com/strnage_connections/strange008.htmlctions/strange008.html)) What gets seen and how easily you can What gets seen and how easily you can

find things find things LabelsLabels GranularityGranularity


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Procedural EthicsProcedural Ethics Limitations of methodsLimitations of methods

Reliability/ValidityReliability/Validity CUE studies by Molich and colleagues show that any CUE studies by Molich and colleagues show that any

particular inspector or reviewer is unlikely to find more particular inspector or reviewer is unlikely to find more than a minority of the usability problemsthan a minority of the usability problems

Clear disclaimer in proposals and reportsClear disclaimer in proposals and reports Number of participantsNumber of participants Choice of participantsChoice of participants Choice of tasksChoice of tasks Training of facilitatorsTraining of facilitators Type of analysisType of analysis Choice of what to highlight in reports/presentationsChoice of what to highlight in reports/presentations


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Rewards for ParticipationRewards for Participation

When studies involve some type of When studies involve some type of payment or material reward there payment or material reward there are a set of ethical issuesare a set of ethical issues What level of payment is reasonable?What level of payment is reasonable? Should you pay at the beginning or end Should you pay at the beginning or end

of a study?of a study?


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PrivacyPrivacy

How much personal information do How much personal information do we ask people to provide on a formwe ask people to provide on a form

Opt-in/opt-out settingsOpt-in/opt-out settings Rules for communities about passing Rules for communities about passing

on informationon information


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EthnographyEthnography

Reciprocal trustReciprocal trust Impact on the participants’ livesImpact on the participants’ lives

Short term impactsShort term impacts Long term impactsLong term impacts

Deception (often passive)Deception (often passive)


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Recording of DataRecording of Data

Mackay (1992): “Ethics, Lies, and Mackay (1992): “Ethics, Lies, and Videotape…”Videotape…” EntertainmentEntertainment Undue influenceUndue influence Inappropriate special effectsInappropriate special effects

New technologies present problemsNew technologies present problems Video clips on CD/DVDVideo clips on CD/DVD Keystroke captureKeystroke capture Favorite’s listFavorite’s list Streaming video to observersStreaming video to observers


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Recording DilemmasRecording Dilemmas

You can stream video of usability sessions You can stream video of usability sessions to the desktops of anyone in your company. to the desktops of anyone in your company. You can set up security for who can access You can set up security for who can access video clips, but don’t know who is actually video clips, but don’t know who is actually watching the sessions.watching the sessions.

You put together a set of “entertaining” You put together a set of “entertaining” clips from usability sessions that show clips from usability sessions that show people having horrendous difficulty with people having horrendous difficulty with different products. At the conference, different products. At the conference, people laugh hysterically at the clips. This is people laugh hysterically at the clips. This is common. Is it ethical?common. Is it ethical?


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Persuasive Technologies Persuasive Technologies Principles of psychology are being applied Principles of psychology are being applied

in the design of persuasive technologiesin the design of persuasive technologies Persuasive technologies can be good or evil Persuasive technologies can be good or evil

((Berdichevsky & Neuenschwander, 1999) Biased systems (Amazon reviews) Surveillance systems Deceptive ads Encourage waste Persistent computers

Fogg (2003) proposes that stakeholder analysis, be used to analyze the ethics of persuasive technologies


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Stakeholder Analysis (from Fogg Stakeholder Analysis (from Fogg (2003, pp. 233-235)(2003, pp. 233-235)

List all stakeholdersList all stakeholders List what each stakeholder has to gainList what each stakeholder has to gain List what each stakeholder has to loseList what each stakeholder has to lose Decide which stakeholder has the most Decide which stakeholder has the most

to gain and which has the most to loseto gain and which has the most to lose Determine how ethical the system is by Determine how ethical the system is by

examining inequities in gains and lossesexamining inequities in gains and losses Examine your values and assumptions Examine your values and assumptions

in the analysis (objective self-in the analysis (objective self-awareness)awareness)


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Conflicts of InterestConflicts of Interest You work with a single product team as their UCD person and will You work with a single product team as their UCD person and will

be reviewing and testing their products for the next yearbe reviewing and testing their products for the next year A manager wants to watch his/her new team member in a A manager wants to watch his/her new team member in a

usability testusability test You’ve done work for multiple financial companies and have You’ve done work for multiple financial companies and have

signed non-disclosures with each of them. You have a chance for a signed non-disclosures with each of them. You have a chance for a major contract with a company that competes some of your major contract with a company that competes some of your former clients former clients

You are a university researcher using students in your studies. You are a university researcher using students in your studies. Students get credit for participationStudents get credit for participation

You are conducting a small set of field studies; during the You are conducting a small set of field studies; during the interviews, the vice president asks how the interviews are going interviews, the vice president asks how the interviews are going and presses for input on specific individualsand presses for input on specific individuals

You have some sales reps watching a person using an online You have some sales reps watching a person using an online insurance site. During the test, the participant reveals that she insurance site. During the test, the participant reveals that she had lied on a previous insurance claim. A sales rep runs out of the had lied on a previous insurance claim. A sales rep runs out of the observation room to cancel her insuranceobservation room to cancel her insurance

You rent out your lab to other moderators for testing. During a You rent out your lab to other moderators for testing. During a study you see that the external moderator mistreats participants study you see that the external moderator mistreats participants


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Support for Ethical QuestionsSupport for Ethical Questions

UPA draft code of conduct; APA, ACM, UPA draft code of conduct; APA, ACM, IEEE ethics codesIEEE ethics codes

Case studiesCase studies UPA advisory board for questions and UPA advisory board for questions and

issuesissues More presentations at conferencesMore presentations at conferences Bibliography of references and Bibliography of references and

articlesarticles


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Do you have any ethical Do you have any ethical issues, dilemmas, or issues, dilemmas, or

questions?questions?

For a list of references on For a list of references on ethics, send email to ethics, send email to

[email protected]@verizon.net


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Thanks for your time!Thanks for your time!If you have any good case studies If you have any good case studies

dealing with ethical issues or dealing with ethical issues or ethical questions, contact me at ethical questions, contact me at

[email protected]@verizon.net

Chaunceywilson

Technology

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