scholarly journals Towards a Common Framework for Mediated Embodiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-12
Author(s):  
Laura Aymerich-Franch
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Technical Principles

Mediated embodiment (ME) is the technologically generated illusion of substituting a person’s body with an avatar body. Virtual reality is the most representative technology of ME. However, other forms of embodiment are emerging and need to be examined. The inclusion of all ME technologies under a common paradigm would largely facilitate their study. Here, I develop a unified conceptual framework of ME and integrate robot embodiment as part of the phenomenon. I first describe the central component of ME: avatars. I extend the concept of avatar used in virtual reality to other forms of ME. I then outline the minimum conditions necessary to induce the embodiment illusion as well as the technical principles used to create this illusion. Next, I suggest that ME technologies can be regarded as tools that increase human capabilities in four directions: embodiment of a new self, expansion of traveling capabilities, expansion of body capabilities, and the reach of immortality. I connect the principal research conducted in the field to these categories and suggest potential research directions to promote the positive applied uses of ME. I conclude with the importance to also address ethical issues related to this phenomenon. 

scholarly journals Towards a Common Framework for Mediated Embodiment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Aymerich-Franch
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
Research Communities ◽  
The Future ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Technical Principles

Mediated embodiment is the technologically generated illusion of replacing a person’s body with an avatar body. Virtual reality is the most representative technology of mediated embodiment. However, other forms of embo- diment are emerging and need to be examined. The inclusion of all mediated embodiment technologies under a common paradigm would more readily facilitate their study. Here, a unified conceptual framework of mediated embodiment is presented, which integrates robot embodiment as part of the phenomenon, and allows the in- clusion under the same umbrella of embodiment technologies that might emerge in the future. The minimum conditions necessary to induce the embodiment illusion, as well as the technical principles used to create this illusion, are discussed. Furthermore, it is suggested that mediated embodiment technologies can be regarded as tools that increase human capabilities in four directions: embodiment of a new self; expansion of traveling capa- bilities; expansion of body capabilities; and the reach of immortality. The principal research conducted in the field of mediated embodiment is explained in connection to these categories. The framework is expected to contribute to creating awareness of the commonalities of mediated embodiment technologies among the different research communities that work with mediated embodiment.

The Changing Nature of Knowledge and Service Work in the Age of Intelligent Machines

2020 ◽  
pp. 343-368
Author(s):  
Crispin Coombs ◽  
Donald Hislop ◽  
Stanimira Taneva ◽  
Sarah Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Service Work ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Intelligent Machines ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
The Impact

One of the most significant recent technological developments concerns the application of intelligent machines to jobs that up to now have been considered safe from automation. These changes have generated considerable debate regarding the impacts that the widespread adoption of intelligent machines could have on the nature of work. This chapter provides a thematic review, across multiple academic disciplines, of the current state of academic knowledge regarding the impact of intelligent machines on knowledge and service work. Adopting a work-practice perspective, the chapter reviews the extant literature concerning changing relations between workers and intelligent machines, the adoption and acceptance of intelligent machines, and ethical issues associated with greater machine human collaboration. A key finding is that much of the research discusses intelligent machines complementing and extending human capabilities rather than removing humans from work processes. The concept of augmentation of humans and human work, rather than wholesale replacement from automation, flows through the literature across a range of domains. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the main gaps in existing knowledge and ways in which future research may provide a deeper understanding of how people (currently and in the near future) experience intelligent machines in their day-to-day work practice. These include the need for multi-disciplinary research, the role of contexts, the need for more and better empirical research, the changing relationships between humans and intelligent machines, the adoption and acceptance of the technology, and ethical issues.

scholarly journals Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Reality: Challenges and Research Directions

IEEE Access ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Chyanna Wee ◽  
Kian Meng Yap ◽  
Woan Ning Lim
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Haptic Interfaces ◽  
Research Directions

scholarly journals Genetic Testing for Minors: Comparison between Italian and British Guidelines

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Tozzo ◽  
Luciana Caenazzo ◽  
Daniele Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Carrier Testing ◽  
European Countries ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Professional Guidelines

Genetic testing in children raises many important ethical, legal, and social issues. One of the main concerns is the ethically inappropriate genetic testing of minors. Various European countries established professional guidelines which reflect the different countries perspectives regarding the main ethical issues involved. In this paper, we analyze the Italian and the British guidelines by highlighting differences and similarities. We discuss presymptomatic, predictive, and carrier testing because we consider them to be the more ethically problematic types of genetic testing in minors. In our opinion, national guidelines should take into account the different needs in clinical practice. At the same time, in the case of genetic testing the national and supranational protection of minors could be strengthened by approving guidelines based on a common framework of principles and values. We suggest that the Oviedo Convention could represent an example of such a common framework or, at least, it could lead to articulate it.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a conceptual framework for predicting navigation performance in virtual reality

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. e0184682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jascha Grübel ◽  
Tyler Thrash ◽  
Christoph Hölscher ◽  
Victor R. Schinazi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Conceptual Framework

scholarly journals The landscape of fear conceptual framework: definition and review of current applications and misuses

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonny S Bleicher
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Dimensional Distribution ◽  
History Of ◽  
Energetic State ◽  
The Cost

Landscapes of Fear (LOF), the spatially explicit distribution of perceived predation risk as seen by a population, is increasingly cited in ecological literature and has become a frequently used “buzz-word”. With the increase in popularity, it became necessary to clarify the definition for the term, suggest boundaries and propose a common framework for its use. The LOF, as a progeny of the “ecology of fear” conceptual framework, defines fear as the strategic manifest of the cost-benefit analysis of food and safety tradeoffs. In addition to direct predation risk, the LOF is affected by individuals’ energetic-state, inter- and intra-specific competition and is constrained by the evolutionary history of each species. Herein, based on current applications of the LOF conceptual framework, I suggest the future research in this framework will be directed towards: (1) finding applied management uses as a trait defining a population’s habitat-use and habitat-suitability; (2) studying multi-dimensional distribution of risk-assessment through time and space; (3) studying variability between individuals within a population; and (4) measuring eco-neurological implications of risk as a feature of environmental heterogeneity.

A Conceptual Framework for the Ethical Evaluation of Supported Decision-Making

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 159-160
Author(s):  
Matthé Scholten ◽  
◽  
Jakov Gather ◽  
Jochen Vollmann ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Plain Language ◽  
Undue Influence ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Ethical Evaluation ◽  
Process Support ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Outsourcing Decision

"Background: Supported decision-making (SDM) refers to all types of interventions support persons with impaired decision-making capacity (DMC) in making informed treatment decisions. It encompasses a wide range of interventions, such as enhanced consent procedures, elaborated plain language and involvement of family, friends or peers in the informed consent process. Empirical research showed that SDM can enhance DMC. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has been ratified by 180 states parties to date, pronounces in article 12(3) that “states parties shall take appropriate measures to provide access by persons with disabilities to the support they may require in exercising their legal capacity.” At the same time, medical ethicists and legal scholars have raised the concern that persons with impaired DMC are more likely to become subject to undue influence under SDM arrangements. Objectives: The aim of this presentation is to provide a conceptual framework to facilitate an ethical evaluation of various forms of supported decision-making. Methods: Empirically informed conceptual analysis. Various SDM interventions are analyzed. Findings: It is necessary to distinguish between input, process and output support. Input support involves influencing factors that are negatively correlated with DMC; process support involves interpreting a person’s preferences and carrying out intellectual processing; and output support involves enabling a person to communicate decisions to others. Conclusion: Most forms of input and output support are promising, but ethical issues in relation to framing and interpersonal leverage must be addressed. Forms of process support that involve “outsourcing” decision-making capacities are ethically problematic. "

Ethical Aspects of Using Virtual Reality in Psychiatry

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 94-94
Author(s):  
Oana Maria Isailă ◽  
◽  
Sorin Hostiuc ◽  
Filip Curcă ◽  
George Cristian Curcă ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Patient Relationship ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Physician Patient Relationship ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Areas Of Interest ◽  
Physician Patient

"Virtual reality (VR), initially a form of entertainment has begun to find its way in healthcare practice. One of its main areas of interest is the treatment of psychiatric disorders. When using VR, the basic ethical principles underlying the physician-patient relationship should be respected, but they should be customized by the presence of an additional layer of complexity generated by the interposition of the virtual world. The physician-patient relationship is often multidirectional, often including a larger team of healthcare professionals, family members or acquaintances, working conjointly to optimize the medical care. Each time other participants are involved within this relationship, the complexity of the ethical issues tends to increase. For example, if the patient has decreased insight, it is possible that other persons must make some medical decisions – resulting a prioritization of beneficence compared to autonomy. Also, we must take into account the fact that many psychiatric symptoms can be seen as a form of “virtual reality” by the patient. The healthcare provider must take additional safety measures to minimize the harms made by VR techniques in psychiatric patients, by using methods that are individually tailored. The main aim of this paper is to debate the ethical aspects surrounding the applicability of virtual reality in treating psychiatric patients, with an emphasis on the elements that were mentioned earlier. "

Consumer confusion: a systematic review and research directions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishakha Chauhan ◽  
Mahim Sagar
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Important Research ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Literature ◽  
Consumer Confusion ◽  
Research Questions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and analyse extant marketing literature on consumer confusion to propose an integrated conceptual framework and highlight important research gaps. Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review methodology was followed for article selection. Selected articles were subjected to content analysis to derive thematic as well as descriptive results. Findings Antecedents, consequences, moderators, mediators and application of the construct in the different contexts have been reported. An integrated framework along with research questions and future directions has also been proposed. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is notably the first attempt to systematically review the marketing literature on consumer confusion. The conceptual framework and proposed research questions create a research agenda around the problem of consumer confusion and contribute towards the advancement of extant literature.

The Transformative Nature of E-Business

2010 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
General Introduction ◽  
Internet Technologies ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Business Transactions ◽  
Sales And Marketing ◽  
Internet Sales ◽  
Moral Risk

The growth of various forms of e-business, from Internet sales and marketing to online financial processing, has been exponential in recent years. It is no exaggeration to say that nearly all forms of business involve elements of e-business today. Internet technologies provide businesses with the potential to more effectively research, market and distribute products and services, to more efficiently manage operations, and to better facilitate the processing of business transactions. However, e-business activities can raise ethical issues, as the new forms of technology and business practices utilized in e-business have the potential to pose significant moral risk as well. As such, both scholars and business persons have a responsibility to be aware of the ethical implications of e-business and to endeavor to promote ethically appropriate forms of e-business. The aim of this chapter is to aid in those enterprises by mapping out some of the major ethical issues connected to e-business. In doing so, this chapter seeks both to serve as a general introduction to this volume and to provide a conceptual framework for understanding and responding to many of the ethical issues found in e-business.

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