Remote employment in the corona-crisis period: the extent of spread and effectiveness of introduction

Basing on the materials of the representative surveys held by RANEPA in 2020 and 2021, it has been shown how wide-spread and effective is the distance form of employment in Russia. Before the epidemiological crisis distance employment was characteristic of a very limited segment of the labor market and was mostly concentrated in groups of relatively high-income employees in the sphere of services and informational technologies. Along with actualization of the coronavirus threat and activation of the measures taken to prevent its spread, the labor market underwent significant changes in 2020, and more than 20% of the employed were forced to switch to distance employment. The transition to distance employment turned out to be very traumatic in terms of work efficiency and psychological comfort. The developed typology shows that positive perception is likely only for 16% of respondents and more than a half are found in the zone of negative integral assessment. Representatives of the youngest cohorts and metropolis dwellers showed the highest level of adaptivity: they expressed the highest positive assessments of the shift to the remote format. The spread of remote employment enhanced the use of informational technologies, particularly, the means of distance visual interaction for solving working tasks. On the whole, such a mass switch to remote employment has turned out to be effective as a temporary measure that will allow smoothing out the negative outcomes of the pandemic. It may be assumed that in the medium term there will be optimization of management efforts when introducing remote work of some employees, and segmental development of mixed employment forms based on the effective balance of employees' and employers' interests.

A Review of EEG and fMRI Measuring Aesthetic Processing in Visual User Experience Research

In human-computer interaction, the visual interaction of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) plays an important role in enriching the quality of daily life. The purpose of our study analyzes the use of brain-computer interface (BCI), wearable technology, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the aesthetic processing of visual neural response to UI and UX designs. Specifically, this review aims to understand neuroaesthetic processing knowledge, aesthetic appreciation models, and the ways in which visual brain studies can improve the quality of current and future UI and UX designs. Recent research has found that subjective evaluations of aesthetic appreciation produce different results for objective evaluations of brain research analysis. We applied SWOT analysis and examined the advantages and disadvantages of both evaluation methods. Furthermore, we conducted a traditional literature review on topics pertaining to the use of aesthetic processing knowledge in the visual interaction field in terms of art therapy, information visualization, website or mobile applications, and other interactive platforms. Our main research findings from current studies have helped and motivated researchers and designers to use convincing scientific knowledge of brain event-related potential, electroencephalography, and fMRI to understand aesthetic judgment. The key trend finds that many designers, artists, and engineers use artistic BCI technology in the visual interaction experience. Herein, the scientific methods applied in the aesthetic appreciation to human-computer interface are summarized, and the influence of the latest wearable brain technology on visual interaction design is discussed. Furthermore, current possible research entry points for aesthetics, usability, and creativity in UI and UX designs are explicated. The study results have implications for the visual user experience research domain as well as for interaction industries, which produce interactive projects to improve people’s daily lives.

Soundscape restoration model based on psycho-physiological response with audio-visual interaction in natural environment

In this study, a soundscape restoration model was proposed in terms of audio-visual interaction based on psycho-physiological response by natural soundscape experience. To this end, audio-visual stimuli were collected in 6 sites of 2 types of natural environment (greenery and water) and 3 sites of urban environment (as control), and a laboratory evaluation environment was implemented using virtual reality technology. Sixty subjects participated in the experiment for two days, and the individual's health status, personality and temperament, and sensitivity were investigated before the evaluation. In the experiment on the first day, a stress test (mental arithmetic) was performed before the stimulation experience, and questionnaires related to psychological recovery was answered after the stimulation experience. In all the experimental procedures, physiological responses such as heart rate, electroencephalogram (EEG), and eye-tracking were measured so that before/during/after response from experience could be compared. In the experiment on the second day, they were asked to respond to a questionnaire related to the soundscape and landscape of environment. Finally, the relationship between the audio-visual environment (soundscape and landscape perception) and the psycho-physiological response was investigated using structural equation model, and based on this, design guidelines for healthy urban city were proposed.