A Semiotic Analysis of a Model for Understanding User Behaviours in Ubiquitously Monitored Environments

Abstract

Improvements in electronics and computing have increased the potential of monitoring and surveillance technologies. Although now widely used, these technologies have been known to cause unintended effects, such as increases in stress in those being observed. Further advancements in technology lead people towards the ‘pervasive era’ of computing, where a new means of monitoring ubiquitously becomes possible. This monitoring differs from existing methods in its distinct lack of physical boundaries. To address the effects of this kind of monitoring, this paper proposes a model consisting of a series of factors identified in the monitoring and pervasive literature believed to influence behaviour. The model aims to understand and predict behaviour, thereby preventing any potential undesirable effects, but also to provide a means to analyse the problem. Various socio-technical frameworks have been proposed to guide research within ubiquitous computing; this paper uses the semiotic framework to analyse the model in order to better understand and explain the behavioural impact of ubiquitous monitoring.