Towards Transdisciplinary Research

Abstract

Human–computer interaction (HCI) is often perceived as a largely technical, practical, and industry-centered field of study, focusing on the usability and design aspects of technological products or services. Although such a perception is partly true, HCI is really a transdisciplinary integration that requires theoretical thinking of why and how humans interact with technology in a certain way. This talk will give an overview of how Ki Joon Kim, as a transdisciplinary HCI scholar, utilizes a multitude of theories not only from his home fields of human-computer interaction and communication, but also from the disciplines of design, engineering, psychology, and sociology, to synthesize new and broad theoretical lenses—that cut across time, culture, and discipline—for examining the use and effect of emerging technologies, including the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, and social robots.

Biography

Ki Joon Kim is Assistant Professor of New Media and Human–Technology Interaction in the Department of Media and Communication at City University of Hong Kong, where he investigates the psychological antecedents and consequences of human–technology interaction by examining how humans respond to various technological affordances. He is also Associate Editor of Behaviour & Information Technology, a highly rated journal for the study of the social, behavioral, and psychological impact of human interactions with information and communications technology. His works have appeared in leading international journals, such as the Journal of Computer–Mediated Communication, Human Communication Research, the International Journal of Human–Computer Studies, and the Journal of Business Research, and featured in major international news outlets, including TIME, CNN, NBC News, Fox News, and the Guardian, as well as in local media in more than 15 countries.