Optimizing web-accessibility for deaf people and the hearing impaired utilizing a sign language dictionary embedded in a browser

Deaf people have certain problems navigating on the Internet. This is a subject, which has not received adequate scientific attention. Via an experiment with both deaf and hearing people, text was identified as a problem for deaf people when navigating on websites. A prototype of a website with an embedded sign language dictionary, which translates keywords to sign language, was developed and tested against the same website without the dictionary. This test revealed that deaf people who were given the sign language prototype completed a given task significantly faster than deaf people who were given the website without the dictionary. A final test showed that deaf and hearing people use the same number of metacognitive comprehension strategies when reading on websites, but the frequency of their usage was different. Deaf people make more use of a search and match strategy, which is a behavior this prototype supports.     

Improving deaf users' accessibility in hypertext information retrieval: are graphical interfaces useful for them?

This paper explores the effect of substituting textual links for graphical ones on the performance of deaf signers in hypertext information retrieval (HIR). Both deaf and hearing users found more targets, were faster and became less disoriented in the verbal hypertext interface than in the graphical one. Deaf users were outperformed by hearing users in all conditions except in short paths with the graphical interface. The results and its applied consequences, which would be also relevant to other users with similar problems than those of deaf signers (elderly people, people with dyslexia, people navigating in a website using a foreign language or people with low literacy) are discussed in relation to the CoLiDeS model of web interaction (Kitajima et al. 2000) and to the overgeneralisation of 'Picture superiority effect' (Nelson et al. 1976).     

Interactive stories and exercises with dynamic feedback for improving reading comprehension skills in deaf children

Deaf children have significant difficulties in comprehending written text. This is mainly due to the hearing loss that prevents them from being exposed to oral language when they were an infant. However, it is also due to the type of educational intervention they are faced with, which accustoms them to decoding single words and isolated sentences, rather than entire texts. This paper presents an evolved version of a literacy web tool for deaf children based on stories and comprehension exercises. Two substantial improvements were made with the respect to the first version of our application. First, the text of the stories is now presented to children in the context of animated web pages. Second, intelligent dynamic feedback is given to the users when resolving the exercises. A preliminary evaluation study with deaf children, as the treatment group, and hearing children, as the control group, assessed the usability and effectiveness of the new system and its graphical interface.     

Information structure and practice as facilitators of deaf users' navigation in textual websites

Deaf users might find it difficult to navigate through websites with textual content which, for many of them, constitutes the written representation of a non-native oral language. With the aim of testing how the information structure could compensate for this difficulty, 27 prelingual deaf users of sign language were asked to search a set of headlines in a web newspaper where information structure and practice were manipulated. While practice did not affect deep structures (web content distributed through four layers of nodes), wide structures (web content concentrated in two layers) did facilitate users' performance in the last trial block and compromised it in the first trial block. It is argued that wide structures generate a textual information overload for deaf users, which decreases with practice. Thus, wide structures seem preferable for websites requiring frequent use, rather than for those intended for occasional interaction.     

Relationship between the level of intimacy and lurking in online social network services

The rapid growth of online social network services (SNSs) leads to new research questions. Unlike in other online communities, people in SNSs expect to gratify social-emotional needs rather than informational needs, and they are connected in a person-to-person manner which is more direct and interpersonal. The author argued that the factors influencing members’ public posting in SNSs differ from those in traditional online communities. Interpersonal intimacy was postulated to influence lurking behaviors in SNSs. To investigate the relationship between intimacy level and posting frequency in SNSs, an online survey was conducted in Wallop, a SNS provided by Microsoft. Responses (102) were collected, in which the first 40 posters and the first 40 lurkers were selected for statistical analysis. The result shows significant differences exist in both verbal and affective intimacy level between lurkers and posters. The level of verbal intimacy and the level of affective intimacy are positively correlated with posting frequency. The result of discriminant analysis shows that verbal intimacy and affective intimacy are useful for discriminating posting/lurking groups of users. In addition, significant gender differences in perceived intimacy and posting behaviors were found. The result implies that people lurk in SNSs because they believe that their social-emotional needs may not be satisfied even if they post.     

Control your Facebook: An analysis of online privacy literacy

For an effective and responsible communication on social network sites (SNSs) users must decide between withholding and disclosing personal information. For this so-called privacy regulation, users need to have the respective skills—in other words, they need to have online privacy literacy. In this study, we discuss factors that potentially contribute to and result from online privacy literacy. In an online questionnaire with 630 Facebook users, we found that people who spend more time on Facebook and who have changed their privacy settings more frequently reported to have more online privacy literacy. People with more online privacy literacy, in turn, felt more secure on Facebook and implemented more social privacy settings. A mediation analysis showed that time spend on Facebook and experience with privacy regulation did not per se increase safety and privacy behavior directly, stressing the importance of online privacy literacy as a mediator to a safe and privacy-enhancing online behavior. We conclude that Internet experience leads to more online privacy literacy, which fosters a more cautious privacy behavior on SNSs.     

The reciprocal effects of social network site use and the disposition for self-disclosure: A longitudinal study

Since the advent of social network sites (SNSs), scholars have critically discussed the psychological and societal implication of online self-disclosure. Does Facebook change our willingness to disclose personal information? The present study proposes that the use of SNSs and the psychological disposition for self-disclosure interact reciprocally: Individuals with a stronger disposition show a higher tendency to use SNSs (selection effect). At the same time, frequent SNS use increases the wish to self-disclose online, because self-disclosing behaviors are reinforced through social capital within the SNS environment (socialization effect). In a longitudinal panel study, 488 users of SNSs were surveyed twice in a 6 months interval. Data were analyzed using structure equation modeling. The proposed reciprocal effects of SNS activities and self-disclosure were supported by the data: The disposition for online self-disclosure had a positive longitudinal effect on SNS use which in turn positively influenced the disposition for online self-disclosure. Both effects were moderated by the amount of social capital users received as a consequence of their SNS use.     

Strategic self-presentation online: A cross-cultural study

Contemporary social networking sites (SNSs) make idealized self-presentation and image maintenance difficult because users’ audiences are becoming more diverse and individual users must negotiate often unanticipated other-provided information in the form of text posts and digital images on their profile pages. This cross-cultural study examines how audience-related variables affect a range of strategic self-presentation and image management behaviors online. Results from samples of Singaporean and American SNS users (N = 411) show that while Americans update their profiles with text-based wall posts more frequently, Singaporeans share significantly more photos. Audience diversity is positively associated with active management of other-provided information, and females share more photos and actively manage unwanted photo tagging. Cultural identity and the tendency to ‘friend’ unknown others interact on managing other-provided wall posts; individualistic cultural identity exhibited positive relationships with these reactions for those less likely to friend unknown others but negative ones for those more likely to friend unknown others. Implications for the theoretical understanding of and practical suggestions about self-presentation online are discussed.     

Authenticity and well-being on social network sites: A two-wave longitudinal study on the effects of online authenticity and the positivity bias in SNS communication

In offline settings, authentic behavior has frequently been linked to increased well-being. Social network sites (SNSs) provide a new venue for authenticity, yet the effects of online authenticity are largely unknown. The present study investigated the reciprocal effects of authenticity on SNSs and the psychological well-being of SNS users in a two-wave longitudinal study (N = 374). The results demonstrate that online authenticity had a positive longitudinal effect on three indicators of subjective well-being. The data further illustrate that this beneficial effect of SNS use is not equally accessible to all users: participants with low levels of well-being were less likely to feel authentic on SNSs and to benefit from authenticity. We propose that the results can be explained in light of a “positivity bias in SNS communication” that favors positive forms of authenticity over negative ones.     

Multi-homing on SNSs: The role of optimum stimulation level and perceived complementarity in need gratification

Given the increasingly intense competition for social networking sites (SNSs), ensuring sustainable growth in user base has emerged as a critical issue for SNS operators. Contrary to the common belief that SNS users are committed to using one SNS, anecdotal evidence suggests that most users use multiple SNSs simultaneously. This study attempts to understand this phenomenon of users’ multi-homing on SNSs. Building upon optimum stimulation level (OSL) theory, uses and gratifications theory, and literature on choice complementarity, a theoretical model for investigating SNS users’ multi-homing intention is proposed. An analysis of survey data collected from 383 SNS users shows that OSL positively affects users’ perceived complementarity between different SNSs in gratifying their four facets of needs, namely, interpersonal communication, self-presentation, information, and entertainment. Among the four dimensions of perceived complementarity, only interpersonal communication and information aspects significantly affect users’ intention to multi-home on SNSs. The results from this study offer theoretical and practical implications for understanding and managing users’ multi-homing use of SNSs.     

论陶艺教育对高职听障生情感发展的积极作用

“陶艺”拥有生存的技能，也能促进人的情感发展。本文结合高职听障生的情感特点．从陶艺教育助于情感的陶冶。助于情绪的调节．助于自信的培养。情感的沟通。助于表达人性四方面阐述了陶艺教育使听障生拥有有效的情绪控制能力，健全的情感。积极乐观的生活态度。     

Delineating the dimensions of social support on social networking sites and their effects: A comparative model

Social networking sites (SNSs) allow users to connect with each other by overcoming geographical and temporal boundaries and thus empower people to search for social support from online. Social support has been considered a key social value that online users can obtain from SNSs. However, few studies have systematically investigated social support in such a context. Motivated to address this gap, we have developed an advanced and theoretical framework to delineate social support on SNSs by clearly revealing the dimensions of online social support on SNSs and examining their effects on users' commitment and SNS continuance. Further, we introduce gender as a key moderator and explain in theory how differently men and women perceive the importance of the dimensions in evaluating online social support over SNSs. Our research results indicate that the identified three dimensions (informational support, emotional support, and network management) are important components of the online social support on SNSs, which is positively associated with commitment and continuance. In addition, the weight of each dimension in the evaluation of online social support varies by gender. This study is among the very first to explore online social support in the context of SNS and its effects, and has rich theoretical and practical implications.     

BFF: A tool for eliciting tie strength and user communities in social networking services

The use of social networking services (SNSs) such as Facebook has explosively grown in the last few years. Users see these SNSs as useful tools to find friends and interact with them. Moreover, SNSs allow their users to share photos, videos, and express their thoughts and feelings. However, users are usually concerned about their privacy when using SNSs. This is because the public image of a subject can be affected by photos or comments posted on a social network. In this way, recent studies demonstrate that users are demanding better mechanisms to protect their privacy. An appropriate approximation to solve this could be a privacy assistant software agent that automatically suggests a privacy policy for any item to be shared on a SNS. The first step for developing such an agent is to be able to elicit meaningful information that can lead to accurate privacy policy predictions. In particular, the information needed is user communities and the strength of users’ relationships, which, as suggested by recent empirical evidence, are the most important factors that drive disclosure in SNSs. Given the number of friends that users can have and the number of communities they may be involved on, it is infeasible that users are able to provide this information without the whole eliciting process becoming confusing and time consuming. In this work, we present a tool called Best Friend Forever (BFF) that automatically classifies the friends of a user in communities and assigns a value to the strength of the relationship ties to each one. We also present an experimental evaluation involving 38 subjects that showed that BFF can significantly alleviate the burden of eliciting communities and relationship strength.     

The Effect of Network Characteristics on Online Identity Management Practices

As online social networking permeates all aspects of personal and professional lives, users of social networking sites (SNSs) are more motivated than ever to manage their online identities to project a favorable impression of themselves to online audiences. This research builds on the boundary management perspective to gain a better understanding of online identity management practices by examining the relationship between characteristics of the online social network, including cognitive homogeneity and social tie variety and the use of identity management practices such as segmentation and self-enhancement. The proposed research model is tested using survey data. The findings suggest cognitive homogeneity is positively related to the use of both identity management practices, segmentation and self-enhancement, whereas social tie variety is positively related to segmentation, but not self-enhancement practices. We conclude with implications of the study results for research and practice, as well as a discussion of directions for future research.     

Effect of linguistic disfluency on consumer satisfaction: Evidence from an online knowledge payment platform

The popularity of online knowledge payment platforms enables online users to disseminate paid knowledge via voice communication. However, such communication provided by users with little professional teaching skills commonly tends to contain linguistic disfluency, which is a potential determinant of consumer satisfaction of paid knowledge products. This study examines how linguistic disfluency inherent in paid knowledge products impacts consumer satisfaction and the moderating effects of two consumer knowledge aspects, namely expertise and familiarity. Based on processing fluency theory, we build a theoretical model to illuminate relationships between consumer satisfaction, linguistic disfluency, and consumer knowledge. Leveraging data from Zhihu Live, a leading online knowledge payment platform, we find that linguistic disfluency is negatively associated with consumer satisfaction; nevertheless, this negative association disappears or turns into a positive effect for consumers with high expertise and low familiarity. Our study offers implications for platforms to accomplish high consumer satisfaction and further improve user retention and revenue.     

An evaluation of the Language and Thought software*

This paper describes an evaluation of software developed with the aim of enabling hearing-impaired children to explore and experience the use and effects of language. The software allows interactive graphics to be discussed and controlled by means of a simple‘natural’ language interface, thereby allowing the user to hold a written conversation with the computer. It is argued that by making written language interactive in this way, prelingually deaf children should be able to use, in the written medium, language learning strategies similar to those normally used by hearing children in the spoken medium.     

Mediating roles of self-presentation desire in online game community commitment and trust behavior of Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), which allow simultaneous participation of several gamers, have attracted a great deal of attention recently. Since MMORPGs can be categorized as a type of online community, the behavior of MMORPGs users needs to be considered as the general behavior in online communities. However, previous studies of online communities did not pay enough attention to MMORPGs, in which users can express themselves by interacting actively through games and game avatars. Understanding the characteristics of MMORPGs as online game communities where users communicate and interact will allow games to be vitalized and users to be immersed in games in a more positive way. Hence, using self-presentation theory and social identity theory, this study examined the factors influencing self-presentation desire and the mediating role of self-presentation desire examined in terms of trust of and commitments to online game communities. The results showed that the interactivity in the spaces of MMORPGs had the biggest impacts on self-presentation desire; personal innovativeness and game design quality also was influential. The results also indicated that self-presentation desire caused trust of online games and eventually led to even stronger commitments to gamers.     

“I plan to be a 10”: Online literacy and lesbian,gay, bisexual,and transgender students

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people use computer mediated communication (CMC) in a variety of ways as they come to understand their sexual identity and begin to identify with larger communities. A Web-based survey gathered 75 responses from Web users who supplied information about their online experiences as LGBT people. They report using online resources to serve many functions in the coming out process: They gather information, try out new ways of self-expression, and an find audience of like-minded people with whom they interact. Online resources were reported as most useful for obtaining basic information, for offering the ability to express oneself on LGBT issues and as a LGBT person, and for connecting with a larger LGBT community. The ways people find, use, and interact with these resources are examples of online literacy, a set of skills that may parallel traditional academic literacies but which may be used in different ways and to different ends.     

Internet use and personal empowerment of hearing-impaired adolescents

The Internet has become an ordinary and widely accepted alternative social environment—known as cyberspace—in which many people take part in numerous activities. For the hearing-impaired, cyberspace provides extra benefits for two basic reasons: means of communication, which is primarily based on visual (text and images) and not auditory channels, and the convenient possibility of concealing their handicap from other users, thus gaining more security and a sense of equality. The purpose of the current study was to examine characteristics, intensity, and types of use of the Internet by hearing-impaired adolescents compared to an equivalent group of normal-hearing participants, with gender and adolescence stage (age 12–15, or 16–19) as additional independent variables. In addition, the intensity of using the Internet as a possible moderator of deaf participants’ well-being was examined by comparing measures of loneliness and self-esteem between low- and high-intensive hearing-impaired users on the one hand, and hearing participants, on the other. Questionnaires were administered to 114 hearing-impaired and 100 hearing participants, matched for intelligence and socio-economic status. Main results showed that for both genders and for the two adolescence stages, hearing-impaired participants were motivated to use, and actually did use, the Internet more intensively than their hearing counterparts. Furthermore, the hearing-impaired used the Internet more than did hearing participants for both personal and group communication. Hearing and intensively Internet-using deaf participants were similar in level of well-being, both higher than the well-being of less-intensively Internet-using deaf participants. The Internet may thus be viewed as an empowering agent for the hearing-impaired.