Postphenomenology focus

As I’ve done more reading on what postphenomenology as a philosophical orientation, and what it offers to my research focus, which is a viable phenomenological exploration of MRDTs, I am becoming more convinced of its strengths. However, I am finding myself in the middle of the current debate of whether the focus on technology is either at the level with the individual or broadly, on a societal or cultural level. Ihde acknowledges that there are at least two perceptions, he calls them ‘microperception’ (on the individual level) and ‘macroperception’ (on a broad, cultural level). He does not deny their interdependency on one another but has been criticised for artificially separating them.

My position is that while I acknowledge the significant impact of broader societal and cultural forces on technology, as Ihde discusses in Program Two (Ritter, 2021), my research takes a more focused path, centering on the individual’s direct experiences with MRDTs. I believe this emphasis is crucial because a detailed understanding of these micro-level interactions is vital for potentially shaping the very design and development of MRDTs. By carefully examining how individuals perceive, interpret, and interact with this technology in specific situations, I aim to build foundational knowledge that can potentially lead to the creation of MRDT applications that are more intuitive, designed around the user, and ethically sound. 

Full Research Proposal

See the live document of where my full proposal is currently. It constantly changes but as I make modifcations to it, I improve my research narrative, the structure and flow.

The following is a short overview and justification of my chosen and proposed methodology for the Research Strategies Module in MTU.

Introduction

My PhD research methodology is a qualitative inquiry fundamentally grounded in a phenomenological approach. My research undertakes a phenomenological exploration of user experiences with dynamic Mixed Reality Digital Twins (MRDTs). Drawing from the philosophy of technology, which posits the deep integration of technology into our lives, this research employs a qualitative methodology designed to investigate how MRDTs, as a specific form of technology, mediate human experience—a central concern within this philosophical field. Consequently, this research adopts Don Ihde’s postphenomenology. This framework, rooted in classical phenomenology, blended with pragmatism to specifically address technology, aligns well with my research question(s).This specifically relates to the four techno-human relations (embodied, hermeneutic, alterity and background relations) (Ihde, 1990).

Phenomenology, as a philosophical approach, seeks to understand phenomena as they appear to consciousness, prioritizing the study of lived experience. This is a vast topic and one can take a myriad of avenues because there are potentially an infinite number of phenomena that can be observed and studied. My objective as a researcher is to adopt a phenomenological approach to explore the subjective experiences of users interacting with MRDTs, focusing on the “what” and “how” of their perceptions and interpretations. This aligns with the broader concern of the philosophy of technology, which prompts us as humans to examine how technology influences our experience of this world. Thus, my methodological approach, grounded in phenomenology, will specifically utilize the framework of postphenomenology. A crucial consideration for my chosen methodology is that it must address not only the user or the technology in isolation, but the dynamic, co-constitutive relationship between them. The four conceptual “lenses” as it were, are the four human-technology relations that formed the basis for my research questions and consequently my methodology. Crafting this methodology involves exploring the various methods of data collection that other researchers and phenomenologists have employed that have yielded relevant and insightful information as well as the analyses that enabled the interpretation of the data gathered. I break these down in the following sections: phenomenological approach, theoretical framework, research design, data collection and data analysis. I also provide a critical justification for each of these.

Phenomenological Approach

I have settled on the phenomenological approach, primarily because this is my PhD supervisor’s area domain. But aside from that, I have come to develop my own appreciation for this whole new world (to me) of phenomenology. Coming from an engineering background, both in education and profession, I am used to developing technology and conducting empirical experiments where assessing and evaluating data from more of a quantitative perspective is typical. So, phenomenology was a good introduction for me to look at technology in a different way.

This phenomenological approach which is a philosophical tradition fundamentally concerned with the direct investigation and description of consciousness as well as the lived experience from the first-person perspective. The central aim is to gain a deep understanding of the subjective experiences of individuals interacting with complex Mixed Reality Digital Twins (MRDTs). Phenomenology provides the theoretical grounding to move beyond purely technical descriptions or objective performance metrics, focusing instead on how this interaction appears and is felt by the user. This emphasis on lived experience makes phenomenology uniquely suitable for investigating the core premise that technologies like MRDTs are not passive instruments but actively mediate and shape human perception, action, and understanding of the world.

Theoretical Framework

The primary theoretical framework guiding this research is Don Ihde’s postphenomenology which builds directly from the phenomenological grounding. Ihde’s work emphasizes the crucial role of technology in mediating human-world relations. Ihde’s insistence on empirical investigation into how particular technologies mediate our experience of the world is important. Instead of treating technology as a neutral tool, Ihde’s framework analyses the active role technologies play in shaping human perception, action, and understanding. Key to this analysis are Ihde’s concepts of human-technology relations, which include: embodiment (technology as an extension of the body), hermeneutics (technology as a tool for interpreting the world), alterity (technology as a quasi-other) and background relations (technology forming an unnoticed context). I believe that these relations provide a valuable framework to analyse how users engage with and experience MRDTs because I can systematically investigate their interaction through this conceptual toolkit.

I like the fact that I can use this framework which delves into the relationship between a particular technology and the individual (Ritter, 2021) and do not concern itself too much with the essence of technology as a whole or focusing too much on its societal impact.

Furthermore, I think this approach is deemed more appropriate for investigating MRDT interactions than other phenomenological offshoots. Psycho-phenomenology, for instance, primarily focuses on the subjective experience of psychological states (Hogan et al., 2016), while neurophenomenology seeks to correlate first-person experiential data with neuroscientific findings (Head & Helton, 2018). While valuable in their respective domains, postphenomenology’s direct and specific focus on the structure of human-technology relations and technological mediation makes it uniquely suited to analysing the user’s interaction with MRDTs. Postphenomenology adopts a pragmatic approach that facilitates a focused investigation of the phenomenon in question—the human interaction with MRDTs—and how this interaction co-constitutes experience.

Research Design

A purely qualitative research design is proposed to facilitate an in-depth exploration of the nuances and complexities of user experiences with MRDTs. This approach prioritizes rich, descriptive data and interpretive analysis to capture the subjective meaning-making processes involved in this interaction. I believe that this the most appropriate research design for this investigation because it facilitates an intensive, holistic examination of the phenomenon – user interaction with a MRDT within its real-world context. In order for me to understand what it is like for a user to perceive and interact with a physical object or system simultaneously through a digital overlay, to experience this fusion of physical and virtual i.e. blended realities, it would demand a focus on the user’s first-person, lived experience.  

Using a case study approach means that I can zoom in on just a few participants, or a particular way the technology is used. This allows me to extract detailed and rich information which is needed to apply Ihde’s framework. This would help me see exactly how the technology is mediating the user’s experience, rather than trying to get broad, statistically general answers.

Data Collection Methods

The data collection method chosen will be a combination of various methods, hence a multi-method data collection strategy. This strategy comprise of semi-structured interviews, supplemented with video-cued recall along with multiple perspective recordings (first- and third-person video recordings)

Semi-structured interviews will be the primary data collection method. These interviews will allow for detailed exploration of participants’ lived experiences, perceptions, and interpretations of their interaction with the MRDT. The open-ended nature of semi-structured interviews facilitates the elicitation of rich narratives and the exploration of emergent themes, which is essential for capturing the “experience accounts” relevant to this research. This method is also one of the most used in postphenomenology in order to cover relevant themes while also keeping an open mind to the participants’ answers and facilitate in-depth conversations (Frennert et al., 2023; Funderskov et al., 2019). Semi-structured interviews are appropriate to use due to their capacity to elicit detailed narratives and explore individual interpretations, particularly that of the MRDT interaction.

I had thought about including the think aloud protocol, but this method imposed on the subject, might affect their cognitive overload. Furthermore, this observation is not primarily on the usability of the mixed reality application but rather on the relationship perceived between the user and the 3D holograms.

Multi-perspective video recording (first person from the MR headset and a separate camera) will be employed to capture the embodied aspects of user interaction with the MRDT. This method will provide valuable data on non-verbal cues, physical gestures, and the dynamic interplay between the user and the technology, which is crucial for understanding how the MRDT mediates their experience.

Multi-perspective video recording is crucial for capturing the embodied nature of this interaction, providing valuable data on how users physically engage with the system.

Participant observation may be used to provide contextual understanding of the user’s interaction within a broader setting. This method, if employed, will involve the researcher observing and documenting user behaviour and interactions over a period of time to capture the subtleties of their experience. All in all, the methodological triangulation, strengthens the study by providing a more comprehensive and validated understanding of the phenomenon.

Data Analysis

Finally, the analysis of data directly through Ihde’s postphenomenological concepts is the most appropriate because it ensures theoretical coherence from start to finish. It involves using the specific framework chosen for its suitability to MRDTs (the four relations, mediation, etc.) as the interpretive lens for making sense of the rich, multi-modal data. This approach allows for a systematic and theoretically grounded examination of how the MRDT specifically structures and mediates user experience, perception, and action. It moves beyond generic thematic coding to provide a nuanced, philosophical interpretation of the human-technology-world relationship as co-constituted by the MRDT, directly addressing the research aims in a way that a less theoretically integrated analytical approach could not.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this qualitative methodology, grounded in phenomenological principles and guided by Ihde’s postphenomenology, provides a robust and appropriate framework for exploring the lived experience of users interacting with dynamic MRDTs. Acknowledging the inherent nature of qualitative research, the rich, interpretive depth it offers (a significant strength) also necessitates careful consideration. For instance, the interpretive role of the researcher will be managed through systematic analytical procedures and reflexive practices to ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of the findings.

Furthermore, the ethical dimensions of this study, particularly given its focus on individual experiences and the use of video and audio recordings, are paramount. Strict adherence to ethical guidelines, which will be comprehensively outlined in the research ethics application, will be maintained throughout the research process. This includes the implementation of a robust data management plan to ensure the secure and responsible handling of all personal data collected from participants. While qualitative inquiry often involves an iterative process of refinement, the foundational approach offers a coherent and justified pathway for this investigation. By focusing on the mediating role of technology and employing methods designed to capture the richness of human experience, this research aims to contribute valuable insights to both the philosophy of technology and the practical design and application of future MRDT systems.

References

Frennert, S., Erlingsdóttir, G., Muhic, M., Rydenfält, C., Milos Nymberg, V., & Ekman, B. (2023). ‘It increases my ability to influence my ways of working’: A qualitative study on digitally mediated patient management in primary healthcare. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 37(1), 88–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.13099

Funderskov, K. F., Boe Danbjørg, D., Jess, M., Munk, L., Olsen Zwisler, A.-D., & Dieperink, K. B. (2019). Telemedicine in specialised palliative care: Healthcare professionals’ and their perspectives on video consultations—A qualitative study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(21–22), 3966–3976. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15004

Head, J., & Helton, W. S. (2018). The troubling science of neurophenomenology. Experimental Brain Research, 236(9), 2463–2467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-016-4623-7

Hogan, T., Hinrichs, U., & Hornecker, E. (2016). The Elicitation Interview Technique: Capturing People’s Experiences of Data Representations. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 22(12), 2579–2593. https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2015.2511718

Ihde, D. (1990). Technology and the Lifeworld. Indiana University Press. https://iupress.org/9780253205605/technology-and-the-lifeworld/

Ritter, M. (2021). Philosophical Potencies of Postphenomenology. Philosophy & Technology, 34(4), 1501–1516. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-021-00469-0