Editorial: Article Collection on the Human Aspects in Adaptive and Personalized Interactive Environments Germanakos et al. Editorial: Article Collection on HAAPIE

Abstract

The rapid technological advancement and increasing availability of big data in recent years, has transformed computational systems to more dynamic, multidimensional digital communication environments that present highly complex and uncertain information flows, unfamiliar scenarios, situation-specific use cases, and multi-purpose interactions. Such a reality brings more prominently intelligent technologies to the center of attention for providing alternative insights, adaptive interventions, personalized conditions, and smart solutions to the benefit of the unique user. In principle, a vast body of research addresses adaptation and personalization based on ordinary user characteristics (e.g., role, experience, knowledge, interests) or related contextual aspects (e.g., displays, connectivity, processing power). Researchers, professionals, and practitioners in the broader scientific areas of Adaptive Hypermedia, Web Personalization, and User Modeling, have determined numerous user aspects that demonstrate an unquestionable positive influence to the content, functionality, and interactions offered by adaptive and personalized systems in various application fields (e.g., modeling the user preferences and interests for increasing the accuracy of recommender systems, or modeling knowledge and skills in educational hypermedia systems for an enhanced learning experience). Building on this premise, the extraction and use of deeper psychological constructs, values, and abilities (attributes that define individuals, e.g., cognition, intelligence, emotions, personality, expertise), may also fundamentally advance the role of computer-mediated environments that encompass human-computer interactions. Acknowledging that human-computer interactions are essentially executed on a cognitive level (i.e., users may engage into actions that involve learning, problem solving and decision making), it is of paramount importance to scrutinize and coordinate individual traits and differences throughout the whole design and development process of current practices.