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AbstractNeuroadaptive technology (NAT) is a closed-loop neurotechnology designed to enhance human–computer interaction. NAT works by collecting neurophysiological data, which are analysed via autonomous algorithms to create actions and adaptations at the user interface. This paper concerns how interaction with NAT can mediate self-related processing (SRP), such as self-awareness, self-knowledge, and agency. We begin with a postphenomenological analysis of the NAT closed loop to highlight the built-in selectivities of machine hermeneutics, i.e., autonomous chains of algorithms that convert data into an assessment of psychological states/intentions. We argue that these algorithms produce an assessment of lived experience that is quantitative, reductive, and highly simplistic. This reductive assessment of lived experience is presented to the user via feedback at the NAT interface and subsequently mediates SRP. It is argued that congruence between system feedback and SRP determines the precise character of the alterity relation between human user and system. If feedback confirms SRP, the technology is regarded as a quasi-self. If there is a disagreement between SRP and feedback from the system, NAT is perceived to be a quasi-other. We argue that the design of the user interface shapes the precise ways in which NAT can mediate SRP.

A study was conducted to assess the relative impact of partial sleep deprivation (restriction to 4 h sleep before testing) and full sleep deprivation (no sleep on the night before testing) on 2 h of simulated driving, compared with an alcohol treatment (mean blood alcohol content = 0.07%). Data were collected from the 64 male participants on the primary driving task, psychophysiology (0.1 Hz heart rate variability), and subjective self-assessment. The results revealed that the full sleep deprivation and alcohol group exhibited a safety-critical decline in lane-keeping performance. The partial sleep deprivation group exhibited only noncritical alterations in primary task performance. Both sleep-deprived groups were characterized by subjective discomfort and an awareness of reduced performance capability. These subjective symptoms were not perceived by the alcohol group. The findings are discussed with reference to the development of systems for the online diagnosis of driver fatigue. Potential applications of this research include the formulation of performance criteria to be encompassed within a driver impairment monitoring system.

Three studies were performed to investigate how identification with an exergame character increases motivation to perform physical activity and, in turn, actual physical activity. Study 1 showed that the extent to which players identified with their game character positively correlated with motivation to perform physical activity. Study 2 indicated that participants who were asked to write down similarities (high identification) compared with differences (low identification) between themselves and their exergame character strengthened their motivation to perform physical activity. Study 3 suggested that playing with a game character that looked similar to one's own appearance (vs. controls) was accompanied by increased motivation to perform physical activity and a higher level of actual physical activity 1 week later. The level of physical activity required by an exergame had no significant influence on our results.