Embodied Quantification of Self : Motivating and Informing Action in Self-Tracking

Abstract: Technical advancements allow for increasingly sophisticated methods of self-tracking. Despite this, the ways in which we interact with our numerical representations seem not to have progressed equally, making it challenging to use the data in meaningful ways. This prevents us from making the most of self-tracking in order to facilitate a healthier lifestyle and self-improvement. In this study, we show how Dourish’s Embodied Interaction can motivate acting based on self-tracked data, with the example of walking. We conducted evaluations with experts and users of a software prototype that is built on the notion of embodiment. Based on the results, we draw a number of conclusions about the usefulness of Embodied Interaction in this area: That digital applications can support physical activity through providing context, motivation and feedback; that self-tracking applications should focus on goals rather than data; that motivation might be increased by placing the users efforts in a context that transcends them as individuals; and that Embodied Interaction offers a rich field of possibilities which are yet to be discovered.