A biosemiotics perspective on dogs’ interaction with interfaces
An analytical and design framework
Understanding how animals might make sense of the interfaces they interact with is important to inform the design of animal-centered interactions. In this regard, biosemiotics provides a useful lens through which to examine animals’ interactions with interfaces and the sensemaking mechanisms that might underpin such interactions. This paper leverages Uexküll’s Umwelt theory, Peirce’s logic of sign relations and Gibson’s theory of affordances to analyze examples of dogs’ interactions with interfaces, particularly the role of the semiotic mechanisms of indexicality and isomorphism. Based on these analyses, the paper derives design implications, and proposes a semiotic framework to support the analysis and design of canine-centered interactions. The framework could be subsequently extended to support the analysis and design of interactive systems for other species.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Influence of cognitive and behaviorist approaches on canine interaction design
- 3.A biosemiotics perspective on interaction
- 3.1The world from the organism’s perspective
- 3.2Signs as symbolic, iconic and indexical relations
- 4.The semiotics of affordance
- 4.1Gibson’s theory of affordances
- 4.2Affordance as a basis for substitution
- 4.3Affordance as a basis for dogs’ interpretation
- 5.The semiotics of dogs’ interaction with interfaces
- 5.1Case 1: Making sense of an affordance chain
- 5.2Case 2: Evolution of sensemaking from decoding to interpreting
- 5.3Case 3: Interpreting and translating interaction patterns
- 5.4Case 4: Semiotic consistency, sensemaking and experience
- 6.The semiotics of affordance in practice: implications for design
- 7.Concluding remarks
-
References
References (47)
References
Abrantes, R. (2005). The Evolution of Canine Social Behavior. Wakan Tanka Publishers.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Barbieri, M. (2008). Biosemiotics: A New Understanding of Life. Naturwissenschaften, 951: 577–599. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Barbieri, M. (1998). The Organic Codes: the Basic Mechanisms of Macroevolution. Rivista di Biologia-Biology Forum, 91(3): 481–514.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bhattacharjee, D., Mandal, S., Shit, P., Varghese, M. G., Vishnoi, A. and Bhadra, A. (2020). Free-Ranging Dogs Are Capable of Utilizing Complex Human Pointing Cues. Front. Psychol. 101:2818. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Byrne, C., Freil, L., Starnet, T., Jackson, M. M. (2016). A Method to Evaluate Haptic Interfaces for Working Dogs. International Journal of Human Computer Studies, 981:196–207. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Eder, J., Rembold, H. (1992). Biosemiotics: A Paradigm of Biology: Biological Signalling on the Verge of Deterministic Chaos. Naturwissenschaften, 79(2): 60–67. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Favareau, D. (2010). Essential Readings in Biosemiotics. Springer.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Freil, L., Byrne, C., Valentin, G., Zeagler, C., Roberts, D., Starner, T., Jackson, M. (2017). Canine-Centered Computing. Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction, 10(2):1–82. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fugazza, C. (2014). Do as I Do: Using Social Learning to Train Dogs. Dogwise Publishing, WA, USA.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gaver, W. W. (1991). Technology affordances. CHI’91: Proc. International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, New York: 79–84. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gibson, J. J. (1977). The Theory of Affordances. In R. Shaw & J. Bransford (Eds.) Perceiving, Acting, and Knowing: Toward an Ecological Psychology (pp. 67–82). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gombrich, E. H. (1963). Meditations on a Hobby Horse and Other Essays on the Theory of Art. The Alden Press, Oxford.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Handelman, B. (2008). Canine Behavior: a Photo Illustrated Handbook. Dogwise Publishing, WA, USA.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hoffmeyer, J. (1993). Signs of Meaning. Indiana University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hook, A. (2019). Exploring Speculative Methods: Building Artifacts to Investigate Interspecies Intersubjective Subjectivity. Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media, 171: 146–164. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jackson, M. M., Valentin, G., Freil, L., Burkeen, L., Zeagler, C., Gilliland, S., Currier, B., Starner, T. (2015). FIDO – Facilitating Interactions for Dogs with Occupations: Wearable Communication Interfaces for Working Dogs. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 19(1):155–173. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kohn, E. (2010). How Dogs Dream: Amazonian Natures and the Politics of Transspecies. American Ethnologist, 34 (1), pp. 3–24. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lotman, Y. (1990). Universe of the Mind: A Semiotic Theory of Culture. I.B. Taurus, London.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Magnani, L. (2001). Abduction, Reason, and Science. Processes of Discovery and Explanation. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mancini, C. (2011). Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI): a Manifesto. ACM Interactions, 18(4): 69–73. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mancini, C., Hirsch-Matsioulas, O., Metcalfe, D. (2022). Politicising Animal-Computer Interaction: An Approach to Political Engagement with Animal-Centred Design. Proc. ACI’22, Ninth International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction, ACM Digital Library, Art. 1, pp. 1–11.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mancini, C., Lehtonen, J. (2018). The Emerging Nature of Participation in Multispecies Interaction Design. DIS’18: Proc. International Conference on Designing Interactive Systems, ACM Press: 907–916. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mancini, C., Lawson, S., Juhlin, O. (2016). Animal-Computer Interaction: the Emergence of a Discipline. International Journal of Human Computer Studies, 981(Feb): 129–134. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mancini, C., Li, S., O′Connor, G., Valencia, J., Edwards, D., McCain, H. (2016). Towards Multispecies Interaction Environments: Extending Accessibility to Canine Users. ACI’16: Proc. International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction, ACM Press, New York. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mancini, C., van der Linden, J., Bryan, J., Stuart, A. (2012). Exploring Interspecies Sensemaking: Dog Tracking Semiotics and Multispecies Ethnography. UbiComp’12: Proc. International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, ACM Press, New York, 143–152. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Maynard Smith, J., Harper, D. (2003). Animal Signals, Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Metcalfe, D. (2015). Multispecies Design. PhD Thesis, University of Arts London and Falmouth University, UK.
Motamedi Fraser, M. (2019). Dog Words – or, How to Think without Language. The Sociological Review Monographs, 67(2): 374–390. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nagel, T. (1974). What Is It Like to Be a Bat?. The Philosophical Review. 83 (4): 435–450. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Norman, D. (1999). Affordance, Conventions and Design. ACM Interactions, May + June. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Norman, D., Draper, S. W. (1986). User Centered System Design. New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Norman, D. A. (1986). Cognitive Engineering. In User Centered System Design. Lawrence Erlbaum Association. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nussbaum, M. C. (2006). Frontiers of Justice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Peirce, C. (1893–1910). Logic as Semiotic: The Theory of Signs. From Buchler, J. Ed. (1955) The Philosophical Writings of Peirce. New York: Dover. In Favareau, D. (2010). Essential Readings in Biosemiotics. Springer.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Resner, B. I. (2001). Rover@Home: Computer Mediated Remote Interaction for Dogs. Media Arts and Sciences MS, Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Robinson, C., Mancini, C., van der Linden, J., Guest, C., Swanson, L., Marsden, H., Valencia, J., Aengenheister, B. (2015). Designing an Emergency Communication System for Human and Assistance Dog Partnerships. UbiComp’15: Proc. International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, ACM Press: 337–347. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Robinson, C., Mancini, C., van der Linden, J., Guest, C., Harris, R. (2014). Canine-Centered Interface Design: Supporting the Work of Diabetes Alert Dogs. CHI’14: Proc. International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press: 3757–3766. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Rowlands, M. (2008). The Philosopher and the Wolf. Granta Publications, London.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ruge, L., Mancini, C. (2019). Method for Evaluating Animal Usability (MEAU). ACI’19: Proc. International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction, ACM DL, art. 141: 1–12. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ruge, L., Cox, E., Mancini, C., Luck, R. (2018). User-Centered Design Approaches to Measuring Canine Behavior: Tail Wagging as a Measure of User Experience. ACI’18: Proc. Fifth International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction, ACM DL, Art. 11: 1–12. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sebeok, T. (1979). The Sign and Its Masters. Austin: University of Texas Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Skinner, B. F. (1959). Cumulative Record (1999 Def. ed.). B.F. Skinner Foundation, Cambridge, MA.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Uexküll, J. von. (1926). Theoretical Biology. Mackinnon, D. L. (Trans.). Kegan Paul, London.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Uexküll, J. von. ([1909] 1985). Umwelt and the Inner World of Animals. In Mellor, C. J., Gove, D., Burghardt, G. M. (Ed.) Foundations of Comparative Ethology. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold: 222–245.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Wallis, L. J., Range, F., Kubinyi, E., Chapagain, D., Serra, J., Huber, L. (2017). Utilising Dog-Computer Interactions to Provide Mental Stimulation in Dogs Especially During Ageing. Intl. Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction, Art.11:1–12. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zamansky, A., van der Linden, D., Baskin, S., Kononova, V. (2017). Is My Dog “Playing” Tablet Games?: Exploring Human Perceptions of Dog-Tablet Interactions. In Proc. CHI PLAY ’17: The annual symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play: 477–484. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zeagler, C., Byrne, C., Valentin, G., Freil, L., Starner, T., Jackson, M. (2014). Going to the Dogs: Towards and Interactive Touchscreen Interface for Working Dogs. Proc. ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology: 497–507. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (3)
Cited by three other publications
Kankaanpää, Vilma, Fay E Clark & Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas
2024.
Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems,
► pp. 1 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Mancini, Clara, Daniel Metcalfe & Orit Hirsch-Matsioulas
2024.
Justice by Design. In
Designing More-than-Human Smart Cities,
► pp. 187 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Wang, Jiaqi, Stephen Anthony Brewster & Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas
2024.
Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems,
► pp. 1 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 4 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.