Affordance Theory Research Articles

Design principles for a blockchain-based multi-sided platform for the sustainable trade of water: An affordance approach

Water scarcity has become a critical challenge affecting the well-being of many communities worldwide and has been incorporated as one of the focal points within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6). Digital technologies, such as blockchain technology, have shown promising potential to help tackle this issue through smart distribution of water abundancies to water-scarce regions. This research employs affordance theory and affordance-based design (ABD) to investigate the design of blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) to tackle challenges related to water scarcity. Using design science research (DSR), this paper proposes design principles (DP) for a blockchain-based multi-sided platform (MSP) for the smart distribution and trade of water. To obtain our principles, we collaborated with a company employing a blockchain-based MSP for water trade. We identified the different elements of the DPs, including affordances and material properties, and matched these principles with meta-requirements obtained from the literature. This research aims to contribute to the scholarly debate by generating prescriptive knowledge in the form of DPs and providing tangible contributions that shed light on the optimal design of similar blockchain applications. These applications are envisioned to ensure their efficacy in addressing the pressing challenges of water scarcity and equitable water access, thereby fostering a sustainable and resilient future for everyone.

Improving Community Wellbeing through transport policy: a literature review and theoretical framework, based on the Capability Approach

ABSTRACT Transport policies affect the quality of life and social wellbeing of citizens and communities; incorporating such impacts in policy and decision making, however, remains a challenge. This paper aims to: (1) present a systematic literature review that links transport policy to Community Wellbeing using the Capability Approach by Sen and Nussbaum, and (2) using that basis, establish a theoretical framework to systematically address Community Wellbeing impacts of municipal transport policies. This can improve qualitative assessments of policy interventions on multiple dimensions, such as safety, health, the (built) environment and accessibility, and inequalities within those dimensions. Using existing literature on the Capability Approach, Community Wellbeing dimensions can indeed successfully be integrated in transport policies. Additional tools and theories, such as the Theory of Change, are needed to structure relations between the sociotechnical transport system and the policy process. For analyses and assessment of policy interventions, additions from the affordances theory, potential accessibility, activity spaces, and sufficientarianism are needed to finalise the framework. Further development and testing of the framework is recommended. The most prominent research gaps are processes to set thresholds for sufficient accessibility, as well as potential limits to mobility behaviours through collective capabilities.

The Optimization Path of Research Support Services in University Libraries from the Perspective of Affordance Theory

University libraries, as an integral component of university research capabilities, are tasked with serving education by providing research support to faculty and students. This study adopts an affordance research perspective originating from ecological psychology to explore the optimization path of research support services in libraries in the new media era. Based on the characteristics of university library services, this research analyzes three aspects: production affordance, mobile affordance, and social affordance, and proposes practical recommendations to guide future research service practices of university libraries.

Using theories that pertain to space and geography in Australian Outside School Hours settings: Playworkers perspectives

This practitioner paper explores the positive impact playwork could have for Australian OSHC (Outside School Hours Care) environments and in turn, educators and children. Through a discussion of four theoretical perspectives pertaining to physical space from a playworkers perspective, the authors show how developing a conceptual understanding of these can support Australian OSHC settings nurture a place for play. With a focus on affordance theory, compound flexibility, liminality and psychogeography, this paper breaks down these theories and posits their practical applications within an OSHC setting.

Discussing Social Media Using Affordance of Young Chinese Ethnic Minority Group Users

The study explores young Chinese ethnic minority group (EMG) users’ social media using affordance for engagement when they engage in intercultural contact on social media platforms. Grounded on the affordances theory, the relationships between influencing factors and using affordance have been presented in the research framework. Through interviewing fourteen EMG participants, critical findings in this paper have also been discussed in the final section, such as young Chinese EMG users who understand the original language supporting multi-language engagement, focusing on cultural content and following EMG influencers. Based on the comparison among various influencing factors, several suggestions have been provided for social media platform designers and related departments.

Negotiating Hegemonic Masculinities and Mutual Exoticization within Grindr Tourism Interactions: “Everyone in Tel Aviv is a Muscle God”

ABSTRACT Dating apps are spaces where masculinities are communicated digitally, affecting inequalities around gender expressions. This study aims to identify the masculinities communicated within Grindr tourism interactions in Tel Aviv and analyze how masculinities shape relations among international tourists and locals. Methods consist of interviews and audio diaries with nineteen tourist, local, and immigrant Grindr users in Tel Aviv. Theories of affordances, hegemonic masculinities, and relational sociology are used to analyze the data. In discussion of the results, the concept of mutual exoticization is put forth to interpret the social dynamics valued within Grindr tourism interactions, thereby revealing oppositional fantasies tied to nationalities and masculinities. The study also explores ethnicity’s association with social and erotic capital in digital circulations of a localized Mizrahi masculinity. Findings reveal that while hegemonic masculinities are circulated on Grindr, resistance is also a part of Grindr tourism relations around masculinities. This research concludes by shedding light on masculinity inequalities within digital spaces where different nationalities co-congregate, revealing everyday negotiations of gender regimes. Grindr is the site of both reproduction of and resistance to social inequalities around masculinities.

Healthy, family-friendly apartment kitchen design: a study of practice in Melbourne, Australia

This study explored constraints and opportunities in apartment kitchen design for family home cooking and dining. An online audit of 115 two-bedroom apartments in three Melbourne suburbs of Australia was conducted, with images collected from the audit guiding photo-elicitation interviews on the kitchen designs, with architects from firms involved in apartment complex design. Affordance theory provided a conceptual lens to thematically analyse the design process and outcome in relation to architectural practice. Based on previously developed criteria, results from the audit revealed that only 18 (16%) had adequate kitchen design for families with children across five features assessed, with four themes emerging from interviews that identified constraints and facilitators to kitchen design practice: “Limited policy standards”; Architect assumptions align with market-led preferences”; “Built environment and apartment typology constraints”; and “Small scale design opportunities”. Findings provide unique insights into architects’ perspectives on apartment design, deepening understandings of how to support healthy family home food preparation and dining.

Affordances, phenomenology, pragmatism and the myth of the given

AbstractThis paper addresses a potential contradiction between the two primary philosophical traditions that inform Gibsonian ecological psychology: the phenomenological and pragmatist traditions. These two traditions exhibit potentially contradictory intuitions about the epistemic role of direct perception. This epistemic role of direct perception was famously problematized by Sellars’ critique of the myth of the given (1956; 1997), and we draw on it here to serve as a test case for the Gibsonian synthesis of phenomenology and pragmatism. While ecological psychology’s emphasis on the firstperson perspective of organisms shares in the legacy of the phenomenological tradition, it also tends to assume direct experience as a given, something basic and foundational to knowledge. Pragmatism, on the other hand, is generally suspicious of experience as a foundational given. We argue that Gibson’s successful synthesis of these two traditions is also what makes his theory of affordances less susceptible to the myth of the given than some phenomenological approaches to perception. Namely, on the Gibsonian account of perception is always part of an action-perception cycle that takes place in and through embodied action and therefore no one act of perception functions as an epistemic given

Building Three-dimensional Virtual Historic Fashion Museum Exhibitions: From the Perspective of Technology Affordances

Museums are currently undertaking the task of digital transformation. Transformational technology generates revitalization of the curatorship, cultural heritage presentation, management model, and traditional roles of museums. The creation of three-dimensional (3D) virtual museum exhibitions is important to fulfill the revolutionary operational requirements and projections of recent museums through digital transformation. The objectives of this project were to (1) create realistic 3D virtual museum exhibitions accessible from the web, focusing on historic fashions, and (2) provide an analysis of the process and resources for creating 3D virtual museum exhibitions featuring object-focused exhibits. As a theoretical background of this project, the theory of technology affordances and the affordance actualization process were applied in the creation of 3D virtual museum exhibitions. The results of this project provide cultural heritage museums and institutions with useful precedents for the development of 3D virtual historic fashion museum exhibitions.

Using the Theory of Affordances to Understand Environment-Play Transactions: Environmental Taxonomy of Outdoor Play Space Features-A Scoping Review.

The transactions between the physical environment and children's play have not been well studied. The theory of affordances provides a way to better understand how environmental characteristics offer opportunities for play occupation. To investigate the relationship between environmental characteristics of outdoor play spaces and children's outdoor play and to develop an environmental taxonomy to support the analysis of play affordances in community play spaces. Peer-reviewed literature (1974-2023) was sourced from a previously published scoping review (Morgenthaler, Schulze, etal., 2023). The Academic Search Complete, Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched using the keywords and synonyms of playground, environmental qualities, and children with and without disabilities. A secondary analysis of the previously published scoping review was conducted. Included studies were those that provided descriptions of physical environment-play activity transactions. A qualitative content analysis of 45 articles was conducted and used to form an environmental taxonomy. This taxonomy consisted of 14 space and object categories defined by their functional qualities and linked to play affordances. An array of 284 play occupations were identified in different forms. Play affordances of spaces and object categories and their functional environmental qualities were subsequently identified. This study provides evidence to support the understanding of how the physical environment shapes children's outdoor play occupations. Plain-Language Summary: The study authors developed the Environmental Taxonomy of Outdoor Play Space Features as a tool that occupational therapists can use to better understand and describe how the physical environment shapes opportunities for play. The tool could also be useful to justify environmental intervention in schools and public playgrounds to create spaces that support more play for a diversity of children.

Affordances in crop diversification: Three cases from the Philippines

This paper investigated the viability of crop diversification as an alternative production system for Filipino rice farmers in light of the Rice Tariffication Law. Qualitative research methods were employed, including focus group discussions, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and wind-screen survey. The transcript analysis employed both inductive and deductive approaches, supplemented by auditability measures such as coding guides and informal member-checking. Using the Affordances Theory with additional insights from the Capabilities Theory and Intuitive Decision-Making Theory, the findings show that rice farmers in Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, and Tarlac shared one cognitive process and one set of variables in deciding on diversifying crops. This is despite the provincial differences in farming contexts. Affordances and anti-affordances in crop diversification are dependent on farmers’ visual and tracking experiences, which guide them in their evaluation of crop diversification as a pro-welfare farming practice. They evaluate the suitability of crop diversification for their sociocultural, economic, and farming contexts, but then shift to intuitive decision-making for their ultimate decision. Risks that are mostly external to farmer control, such as sufficiency of irrigation, financial capital, weather, and climate, make them conclude in a posture of luck after a detailed evaluation process on the practice of crop diversification. This study provides insights into using crop diversification as an alternative production system for rice farmers.

What drives digital innovation cycles? Evidence from manufacturing enterprises in China

This paper examined the determinant factors of digital innovation cycles using the data of 356 listed manufacturing enterprises in China from 2013 to 2021. The digital innovation cycles were measured using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Various influencing factors, including digital technologies, organisations, users, and the environment, were analysed based on the Technology Affordance Theory (TAT). The results indicated that digital innovation efficiency in the Chinese manufacturing industry exhibited a fluctuating development trend and had considerable potential for future development. Digital innovation varied across sub-sectors, and the high-knowledge-intensive industries were subject to the greatest weaknesses. Digital innovation also changed significantly across regions in China. Furthermore, digital strategic orientation, executive education level, digital infrastructure, and regional digitalisation level negatively affected digital innovation. However, customer concentration positively affected digital innovation efficiency. Comprehensive guidance and implications for multiple perspectives are presented to enhance digital innovation by manufacturing enterprises.

Traffic transfer between social media and E-commerce platform: the role of social media affordances

Traffic transfer between social media and E-commerce platform: the role of social media affordances

Unfulfilled habits: on the affective consequences of turning down affordances for social interaction

AbstractMany pragmatist and non-representational approaches to cognition, such as the enactivist, have focused on the relations between actions, affectivity, and habits from an intersubjective perspective. For those adopting such approaches, all these aspects are inextricably connected; however, many questions remain open regarding the dynamics by which they unfold and shape each other over time. This paper addresses a specific topic that has not received much attention: the impact on future behavior of not fulfilling possibilities for social interaction even though their fulfillment is desirable within a given context. Inspired by Gibson’s theory of affordances and Dewey’s account of habits, these situations will be characterized as events where an agent does not act upon an inviting affordance for social interaction due to a conflict which he or she experiences between given concerns, needs, and social norms. This conflict leads to a sense of unfulfillment that may eventually bring about a crisis and revision of habits. Through specific examples, this work presents the potential impact of the connection between affordances, habits, and affectivity on everyday situations. It therefore represents an exploration of the common ground between pragmatism and enactivism and an attempt to contribute to a process-based approach to social interaction.

Creational and conversational AI affordances: How the new breed of chatbots is revolutionizing knowledge industries

The new generative AI (GenAI) paradigm offers unprecedented opportunities for users to tap into. AI capabilities are increasingly helpful in creative and knowledge-intensive domains that have long been considered a territory of human expertise. The new breed of chatbots is based on large language models (LLMs), and they have overcome many constraints that plague the everyday use of previous AI technologies. This article employs the theory of affordances to understand how ChatGPT facilitates (i.e., affords) and constrains (i.e., disaffords) the usefulness of a new breed of chatbots. We further divide two distinct yet interrelated dimensions of new AI affordances: creational and conversational. Via 29 interviews with professionals using ChatGPT in various creative and knowledge-intensive sectors, we identify three creational affordances (content creation and enhancement, knowledge acquisition and creativity augmentation, and task automation) and three conversational affordances (contextual sensitivity, interactive accessibility, and human-AI workflow synergy). Creational affordances refer to the system’s ability to produce novel outputs and automate routine work, whereas conversational affordances encompass the variety of interaction possibilities with an AI system. Both affordances also involve disaffordances that limit the usefulness of the new types of AI systems. Furthermore, we introduce an integrated framework that shows how creational and conversational affordances reinforce each other via meta-affordances of accessibility, accumulation, and adaptability. We illustrate our findings with practical examples and offer guidelines for using these emerging capabilities in company settings.

Benefits of Give Circle: Exploring the impact of collaborative redistribution platforms on user willingness to donate to charity and tendency towards consumer minimalism

This study investigated the motivations of Taiwanese consumers who choose to redistribute their possessions via Give Circle, a free collaborative redistribution platform. We aimed to understand why users prefer using a free platform to donate and solicit items over traditional second-hand exchange platforms. Additionally, we sought to identify the behavioral changes that occur from using this platform within the context of the sharing economy. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, starting with semi-structured interviews with frequent users of the platform to identify independent and dependent variables for the formal research framework. Based on this evidence, we selected the extended UTAUT2 model and gamification affordance theory to explore the factors of continued use intentions. We applied structural equation modeling to 691 valid questionnaires. Predictors of continued use intentions included performance expectations, convenience, time and effort investment, and autonomy and self-expression. Continued use intention positively influenced charitable donation behavior and consumers' minimalist tendencies. These findings represent a novel contribution to the literature on the sharing economy, filling gaps in research on non-monetary collaborative redistribution platforms, extending the application of the UTAUT2 model, and deepening our understanding of consumer psychology and behavioral patterns in Asian Chinese societies.

Disentangling e-commerce gamification affordances on recommendation acceptances from a perceived value perspective

PurposeGamification is a strategic approach employed by practitioners to foster meaningful engagement and enhance the acceptance of recommendations. Gamification affordances (e.g. achievement, self-expression, interaction, and cooperation) catalyze significant psychological processes in consumers, leading to behavioral changes. Despite its application, a gap remains in understanding how these gamification affordances in e-commerce contexts impact customers' perceived values and drive recommendation acceptances.Design/methodology/approachEmploying affordance theory and perceived value theory as our foundation, we have crafted a comprehensive framework that addresses the multifaceted nature of e-commerce gamification, thereby unifying the fragmented knowledge in this area. We implemented a quantitative research design to empirically test the proposed model.FindingsThe research reveals that the four principal affordances of gamification – achievement, self-expression, interaction, and cooperation – significantly enrich consumer values across hedonic, utilitarian, and social dimensions. This enrichment facilitates an increased propensity for accepting recommendations.Originality/valueThis study provides a novel lens through which to view the influence of gamification affordances on recommendation acceptance within gamified e-commerce settings. It delineates the effects of each affordance on consumers' perceived value and highlights the pivotal affordances that shape gamified e-commerce experiences. These insights yield actionable strategies for practitioners aiming to refine e-commerce gamification designs and cultivate more engaging consumer interactions.

Role of Digital Transformation and Its Impact on Employee Readiness for Technology Changes Through Measurement of ‘Digital Prowess’ During Online Mode of Working

The global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the emergence of the civil rights movement through technologies like Chat-GPT has given a highly complexly woven social and technical fabric to dwell upon. The capacity to visualize the evolving relationship between technology and social frames in organizations through online mode of working has been the focus of the current research. In this research, the ways in which the digital prowess of employees can be measured and enhanced through the online mode of working mode of engagement of an employee with an organization has been explored. A quantitative method (SEM) has been applied in the current study to study the socio-technical factors that interplay for employee effectiveness during online mode of working. This study investigates the affordance of digital technologies through the construct of digital prowess for enhancing employee efficacy at work during the online mode of working mode of working. A research model has been developed based on the socio materiality theory and affordance theory as the theoretical background. The results show that the digital prowess constitutes three dimensions namely technical acumen, uncertainty management, and ability to collaborate. Specifically, this study provides an impetus to the role of digital transformations and its impact on employee readiness for technology changes for effectiveness at work through affordances theory which advocates that human-technology interactions can be harnessed for problem-solving capabilities if the employees are empowered with competencies like digital prowess and ways to nurture this balance of technology embedded in social interactions.

Guiding student transduction in elementary school astronomy

AbstractScience educators now broadly recognize the multimodal nature of learning in science, where learners make meanings within modes (linguistic, mathematical, visual, and actional) by using the conventions of different sign systems or grammars in these modes. However, how teachers guide students to link and infer new meanings across modes, called “transduction” (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2006. Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge, p. 39), is less clear. This mapping of meanings across modes through realizing, generating, aligning, and coordinating meanings in representations is crucial to learning and communicating scientific concepts, inquiry processes, and reasoning. In this paper we propose a pragmatist account of how young students can be guided to achieve cohesion in this process. Drawing mainly on Peirce's (1998, The essential Peirce: Selected philosophical writings. Indiana University Press) theory of sign functions and affordances, we describe how, in practice, transduction entails a sequence of meaning‐making steps across and within sign systems. For Peirce, sign systems in science enable inferential meaning‐making within modes, but signs within these grammars can also prompt, support, and confirm meanings across modes. We analyze student learning in an elementary school astronomy class to identify how transduction is enacted and supported. We draw on micro‐ethnographic analysis of the teacher's interactions with students and their artifacts to identify key transduction enablers. We found that young students can engage successfully in trans‐modal reasoning if multiple conditions are met, with implications for science inquiry design in general and the teacher's key role in transduction guidance.

Affordances of Fantasy

Abstract Each of the functions of fantasy described by J. R. R. Tolkien in his essay “On Fairy-Stories” can be reframed through affordance theory into a kind of re-visioning. Such re-visioning is comparable to the formalist notion of defamiliarization or the science fiction technique that Darko Suvin called “cognitive estrangement.” Whereas science fiction projects alternative futures, fantasy's affordances allow writers to generate alternative worldviews grounded in real or invented mythic pasts. The initial move away from claiming to imitate reality allows fantasy writers to project inner experience onto an outer storyworld (there is no pathetic fallacy in fantasy), to depict multiple contradictory selves (housed within a single body or spread out over several characters), and to invite readers to consider alternatives to commonsense assumptions and seemingly inevitable social orders.