Temporal Snapshots: Probing and Designing for Subjective Time in Dementia

Paper Title

Temporal Snapshots: Probing and Designing for Subjective Time in Dementia

Publication Info

• Topic area: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and subjective time in dementia contexts
• Keywords: subjective time, dementia, temporality, HCI, narrative design, temporal anchors, reminiscence, future orientation, interaction design, co-construction

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing HCI designs often rely on normative temporal constructs like clocks and calendars, which fail to account for subjective temporal experiences, particularly in dementia contexts where time perception is altered.
• Significance: Addressing subjective time in dementia is critical for supporting emotional well-being, identity continuity, and meaningful engagement, as normative time constructs often exacerbate disorientation and disconnection.
• Motivation and related work: Prior work in HCI has focused on clock-based assistive technologies and reminiscence therapy, which emphasize past-oriented engagement and normative time alignment. However, these approaches overlook subjective temporalities and the potential for future-oriented experiences, leaving a gap in understanding and designing for lived temporalities in dementia.

Solution

• Proposed approach: The Temporal Snapshots probe, a tool designed to elicit narratives about past and future moments, enabling people with dementia and their partners to explore subjective time through layered, meaningful associations.
• Novelty:
  1. Empirical insights into how people with dementia and their partners experience subjective time through narratives spanning past and future.
  2. A dual lens for temporality research in HCI, integrating micro-level interactional dynamics with macro-level temporal structures.
  3. Design directions for reframing time in dementia contexts, including extending futures, re-aligning orientation, and understanding narratives.
  4. Methodological reflections on the value of abductive analysis and narrative-based probes for researching temporality.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Design of the Temporal Snapshots probe, including visual cues, written prompts, and a physical jar with envelopes containing narrative prompts.
  • Two-part study process: (1) researcher-facilitated image-prompt discussions and (2) a two-week self-paced jar activity.
  • Abductive analysis of narratives, integrating theories from Goffman (interactional framing) and Han (temporal desynchronization).

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Participants narrated time fluidly, connecting past, present, and future moments through affective and relational links.
  • Temporal anchors (e.g., artifacts, routines, cultural events) provided continuity and orientation.
  • Narratives revealed co-construction and negotiation of temporal alignment, prioritizing relational coherence over factual accuracy.
  • Future-oriented narratives emerged as near-term, actionable milestones or extensions of routines, while past memories shaped present identity and emotional resonance.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • The probe enabled exploration of subjective time beyond normative constructs, revealing temporal fluidity, layered associations, and the interplay of past and future.
  • It foregrounded relational and emotional dimensions of temporality, which are often overlooked in clock-based or reminiscence-focused designs.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Conducted with six dyads (people with dementia and their partners) in the Netherlands.
  • Data collected through facilitated discussions, self-paced activities, and abductive analysis of narratives.
  • Themes identified: associating moments across time, anchoring narratives, creating shared understanding, imagining futures, and shaping the present through the past.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Small, culturally homogeneous sample; future studies could explore diverse dyads and cultural contexts.
  • Focused on partner dyads; future work could include other relational configurations (e.g., children, grandchildren).
  • Further research needed to adapt findings into interactive systems and evaluate their impact.

Summary

This study introduces the Temporal Snapshots probe to explore subjective time in dementia, revealing how people with dementia and their partners fluidly connect past, present, and future through narratives. Key findings include the importance of temporal anchors, the co-construction of temporal alignment, and the interplay of emotional and relational dimensions in shaping temporality. The authors propose a dual lens for temporality research, integrating micro-level interactional dynamics with macro-level temporal structures, and offer design directions for extending futures, re-aligning orientation, and embracing narrative ambiguity. These insights have broader implications for designing inclusive, temporally sensitive interactions in HCI.