Sharing Frissons among Online Video Viewers: Exploring the Design of Affective Communication for Aesthetic Chills

Title of the Paper

Sharing Frissons among Online Video Viewers: Exploring the Design of Affective Communication for Aesthetic Chills

Paper Information

• Research Area: Human-Computer Interaction and Affective Communication
• Keywords: Affective communication, biosignals, frissons, asynchronous communication, online video platforms, human-computer interaction

Research Background and Problem

• Identified Problems or Challenges:
  Online video platform viewers often lack channels to interact with others and perceive their emotional states, unlike face-to-face interactions during co-viewing. Existing methods such as comments and bullet screens are often delayed or fail to capture emotional moments, requiring additional attention or manual input, which can disrupt the viewing experience.

• Why This Problem Is Important:
  Frisson (aesthetic chills) is a specific psychophysiological phenomenon closely associated with intense emotional experiences and aesthetic appreciation. This phenomenon can facilitate emotional transmission and group resonance, enhancing the sense of social presence and viewing experience among video audiences.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:
  Previous studies have shown that biosignals can serve as non-intrusive means of emotional communication in contexts such as instant messaging and maintaining long-distance relationships. Since frisson can be monitored through electrodermal activity (EDA), this study aims to explore non-disruptive ways to present frisson data and promote emotional sharing.

Solution

• Proposed Solution:
  The authors designed a supplementary feature integrated with existing online video platforms, using EDA sensors to detect viewers' frissons and conveying this data to other viewers through lightweight feedback mechanisms.

• Innovative Aspects:
  By sharing biosignals in a non-intrusive and seamless manner, the study introduces a channel for auxiliary affective communication that does not rely on textual input and creates a sense of "watching together" in asynchronous viewing scenarios.

• Implementation Steps and Key Technologies:

  1. Design Process:
     • Brainstorming and focus group interviews were used to propose multiple design candidates.
     • Through further iteration, three feedback designs were finalized (ambient light effects, icon size changes, linear vibration).
  2. Video Selection:
     • Sample videos were chosen from popular frisson-inducing content (e.g., musical performances, anime mashups).
  3. Sensor Module Implementation:
     • A real-time EDA data collection device was developed using a custom Grove GSR sensor and Raspberry Pi.
  4. Data Processing and Analysis:
     • Biosignal data was filtered, baseline-corrected, and peak-detected, ultimately quantified into frisson data.
  5. User Feedback Module:
     • Three real-time feedback designs were implemented in a browser plugin, dynamically displaying aggregated frisson data around the video.

Research Findings

• Specific Outcomes Achieved:

  1. Successfully validated that frisson data can serve as a lightweight channel for affective communication, representing the collective emotional state of asynchronous viewers.
  2. The proposed design enhanced users' social sense of connection to the video while minimally disrupting their viewing experience.

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  • More contextual and immediate than traditional text comments or bullet screens, reducing users' cognitive load for active input.
  • Non-intrusive and seamlessly integrated into the viewing process.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • A mixed-method user study (N=48) found that frisson feedback successfully increased viewers' sense of social presence and positively influenced group emotional experiences.
  • Users rated vibration feedback as intuitive and appreciated the aesthetic appeal of ambient lighting, though feedback design details need optimization for different video types.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Scope limitations: Participants were young university students with specific age and cultural backgrounds; future studies should include more diverse populations.
  • Data privacy: While initial findings suggest privacy is manageable, further research is needed on data management for commercial applications.
  • Future directions:
    • Investigate the authenticity of frisson data and its impact on group emotional contagion.
    • Extend frisson data applications to various content experiences (e.g., music platforms, virtual reality applications).
    • Long-term observation of the emotional feedback system's potential impact on user behavior and video content quality.

Conclusion

This study proposes a frisson-based auxiliary affective communication method that effectively fosters social connections among online video viewers. It provides a valuable demonstration of how biosignals can be utilized for asynchronous, lightweight emotional sharing and supports future designers in innovatively leveraging physiological data to enhance user experiences across broader contexts.