Toward Pluralizing Reflection in HCI through Daoism

Paper Title

Toward Pluralizing Reflection in HCI through Daoism

Publication Info

• Topic area: Expanding the conceptualization of reflection in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) using Daoist philosophy.
• Keywords: Reflection, Daoism, HCI, Stillness, Resonance, Emergence, epistemology, embodiment, relationality, reflective technologies.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing HCI frameworks for reflection are narrow, emphasizing cognitive, rational problem-solving and individual self-improvement, often neglecting embodied, relational, and existential dimensions of reflection. Technologies designed for reflection can generate unintended negative consequences, such as cognitive burdens and emotional strain.
• Significance: Broadening the conceptualization of reflection is critical for designing technologies that better support meaning-making in everyday life, particularly amidst uncertainties and crises.
• Motivation and related work: Prior HCI work has developed reflection-supportive frameworks and technologies (e.g., personal informatics, mixed reality, AI-driven systems) but remains rooted in Western epistemologies, which often prioritize analytical reasoning and individualism. Alternative approaches, such as feminist HCI and slow technology, have emerged but still retain certain Western assumptions. This paper introduces Daoism as a complementary, non-Western perspective to address these gaps.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Introduce Daoist philosophy as a lens to reconceptualize reflection in HCI, emphasizing dimensions of Stillness, Resonance, and Emergence.
• Novelty:
  1. Introduces Daoism as a non-Western theoretical perspective to expand reflection in HCI.
  2. Identifies three dimensions of Daoist reflection (Stillness, Resonance, Emergence) that complement existing HCI frameworks.
  3. Articulates design implications for reflective technologies based on Daoist principles, emphasizing relationality and ethical engagement.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 Daoist priests, scholars, and practitioners.
  • Analyzed Daoist texts (Dao De Jing, Zhuangzi) and participants’ reflective practices.
  • Identified three dimensions of Daoist reflection and their relevance to HCI.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Stillness: Reflection as pre-cognitive openness, achieved through practices like forgetting and silence, which loosen fixed identities and create space for meaning.
  • Resonance: Reflection as relational meaning-making, involving inward attentiveness (Listening) and outward awareness (Observation).
  • Emergence: Reflection as dynamic attunement to bodily rhythms, situational flows, and natural cycles, fostering transformation and relational becoming.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • Expands reflection beyond cognitive and individualistic models to include embodied, relational, and emergent dimensions.
  • Challenges instrumental and outcome-driven approaches in HCI, advocating for technologies that support openness, uncertainty, and relationality.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Semi-structured interviews with 18 participants (priests, scholars, practitioners) from diverse backgrounds.
  • Reflexive thematic analysis of interview data, aligned with Daoist concepts.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Difficulty in fully avoiding Western philosophical terminology when discussing Daoist concepts.
  • Textual articulation of Daoist dimensions may not fully capture their embodied qualities; future research could explore embodied workshops for experiential understanding.

Summary

This paper introduces Daoist philosophy as a non-Western lens to broaden the conceptualization of reflection in HCI. Through interviews with Daoist experts and analysis of classical texts, it identifies three dimensions of Daoist reflection—Stillness, Resonance, and Emergence—that emphasize openness, relationality, and attunement. These dimensions challenge dominant Western epistemologies and offer alternative design directions for reflective technologies, such as fostering silence, supporting attunement to uncertainty, and enabling relational reflection. The study highlights the potential of Daoism to inspire epistemic plurality in HCI and calls for further exploration of embodied and relational approaches to design.