Kasper Hornbæk (U of Copenhagen)- The Theory Crisis in Human-Computer Interaction
Abstract: Theory is supposed to be invaluable in HCI research. However, the actual role of theory remains underwhelming, to the extent that I argue there is a crisis of theory in HCI. In this talk, I will first present data suggesting that HCI researchers rarely build theory, actively use it in papers, or raise implications for it. I will then discuss how to resolve the tension between the perceived importance of theory and its actual role. Ways to improve the use and construction of theory will be discussed, as well as some tools for thinking about theory that might help HCI researchers.
Speakers
Kasper Hornbæk
Kasper Hornbæk (https://www.kasperhornbaek.dk/) works in computer science, specifically in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI). He designs new user interfaces for computers, empirically evaluate users’ experiences with such interfaces, and develop theories about the interplay between humans and interfaces. In this work, he pays particular attention to the improving the quality and integrity of research methods and to advancing how we build and use theories. Hornbæk is a full professor in the Human-Centered Computing Section at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Copenhagen, and a Villum Investigator. He was also educated at University of Copenhagen as a MSc student (1998), and received his Ph.D. (2002) there. His work has been supported by the Danish Pioneer Center for AI, the Villum Foundation, and the European Research Council, among others. He is the editor of ACM Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction and on the editorial board of Human-Computer Interaction. In 2025, he published Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction, an undergraduate textbook, with Antti Oulasvirta and Per Ola Kristensson.
