PhD candidates
Gabriela Christofoletti
Gabriela works on Loneliness in aging migrants: Understanding whether language translates into emotional acculturation.
Read below an abstract of Gabriela’s research.
Migration is a global phenomenon, with over 281 million international migrants worldwide. As migration increases, understanding the impact of migrating on one’s mental health becomes increasingly crucial. One significant psychological consequence of migrating is experiencing isolation and loneliness. While loneliness has emerged as a critical public health concern in general, it disproportionately affects specific population segments, including migrants and older individuals– which, combined, might put older migrants at an even heightened risk of experiencing loneliness.
My research aims to explore the role of language to address the intricacies of loneliness among older migrants. Focusing on emotional aspects of acculturation, namely emotional acculturation, it examines language as both a tool for integration and as a mechanism for emotional regulation. Moreover, it investigates the constraints imposed by using a foreign language on emotional expression, as well as the affective significance of the mother tongue. By analyzing the interplay between language, emotion, and acculturation, this study seeks to uncover mechanisms underlying loneliness in aging migrants, offering insights to reduce their sense of loneliness.
Keywords: Migration, Loneliness, Aging, Acculturation, Emotional Expression, Language, Language embodiment
Contact Gabriela for research related questions at: gabriela.christofoletti[at]uni.lu
Romain Toebosch
Romain works on (Im)personal Informatics: Uncovering design choices that help users redefine relationships with and through self-trackers..
Read below an abstract of Romain’s research.
Personal Informatics are increasingly ubiquitous in our lives: fitness bands, screen time trackers, and productivity monitoring apps are some of the many self-trackers that aim to empower users through the information they gather. Although these designs emphasise the relationship between user and tracker, other people are often implicitly involved as well. Models embedded in self-trackers are often trained on data of others, built-in goals are formulated and operationalised by others, and different features prompt comparison with (averages of) others. The resulting features can be enriching to some, but for many, these negatively affect how they relate to themselves and those around them.
In my research, I aim to make more open personal informatics devices, which give users a say in how these self-trackers redefine different aspects of their lives. In a research through design process, I uncover some of the many – often implicit – design choices that can lead to more open or closed-ended personal informatics designs. Applying this to a use case of collaboration, I then investigate the different ways open self-trackers can afford users to shape their relationships with their collaborators and redefine collaboration in their own personal ways. These insights could be a first step towards self-tracker designs which avoid some of the negative consequences currently present and are ultimately more empowering.
Keywords: Personal Informatics; Self-tracking; Research through Design; Physical Computing; Collaboration.
Contact Romain for research related questions at: romain.toebosch[at]uni.lu