ISSN: 1795-6889
www.human echnology.jyu. i Volume 12(1), May 2016, 56–73
56
QUANTIFIED BODIES IN THE CHECKING LOOP: ANALYZING
THE CHOREOGRAPHIES OF BIOMONITORING
AND GENERATING BIG DATA
Abs ac : Biomoni o ing digi al de ices ha e become popula in physical ac i i ies and
a e ecei ing in ensi e ocus as mo i a ional and suppo ehicles o heal h. The aim o
his a icle is o de elop a new heo e ical amewo k o analyze biomoni o ing om he
wo pe spec i es cons i u ing he opposi e ends o he big da a spec um: indi idual
(mic o) and ins i u ional (mac o). In applying phenomenology o he body, discussions o
cho eog aphy, and La ou ’s ac o –ne wo k heo y, I seek o e ol e a cho eog aphy-
based app oach ha can ou line eedback sys ems be ween embodied p ac ices and he
mac ole el cho eog aphy o big da a. Heal h in o ma ics da a as economic and poli ical
asse s a e illus a ed based on ne nog aphy. Ne nog aphic me hodology pays close
a en ion o online ieldwo k and media ex s. Emphasizing he li ed body in he analysis
o knowledge in as uc u e, I aim o con ibu e o he heo e ical discussion o human–
da a in e ac ion. The indings sugges ha highly in ima e, pe sonal echnology can
dis ance people om hei li ed bodies.
Keywo ds: biomoni o ing, wea able echnologies, cho eog aphy, phenomenology,
embodimen , big da a, human–da a in e ac ion.
© 2016 Jaana Pa iainen and he Ago a Cen e , Uni e si y o Jy äskylä
DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.17011/h /u n.201605192620
This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons A ibu ion-NonComme cial 4.0 In e na ional License.
Jaana Pa iainen
Uni e si y o Tampe e
Finland
Quan i ied Bodies in he Checking Loop
57
INTRODUCTION
The in e es s o heal h policymake s and employe s ha e inc easingly become in ol ed wi h sel -
ca e in e en ions, such as heal hy die s and physical exe cise, o p o ide heal h bene i s o
people and educe heal h-ca e cos s. The use o sel -moni o ing digi al equipmen in physical
exe cise, likewise, is becoming inc easingly popula and ecei ing mo e and mo e a en ion as a
mo i a o and suppo ehicle o sel -ca e and well-being. Sel -moni o ing, o biomoni o ing,
e e s o ools such as wea able elec onic senso s and mobile phones wi h apps ha collec , s o e,
p ocess, and display da a abou bodily unc ions. Also known as sel - acking, sel -quan i ica ion,
o he quan i ied sel , biomoni o ing has lou ished wi hin he domain o heal h and physical
exe cise, whe e a s ong demand om compe i i e spo s and biomedical echnology esul ed in
he comme cializa ion o consume heal h de ices. Compa ed wi h a simple pedome e ha
coun s each s ep and shows he o e all igu es o i s use , he new gene a ion o i ness acke
de ices—like he Fi bi , Jawbone Up, and, mo e ecen ly, Apple’s iWa ch—a e small compu e s
ha also can collec , gene a e, and sha e da a abou he physical body. Wi h his in o ma ion,
indi iduals can manage mul iple aspec s o hei pe sonal heal h in o ma ics.
The designe s o i ness acke s (see, e.g., Medynskiy & Myna , 2010) emphasize ha
biomoni o ing is in ended o mo i a e pe sons o achie e heal hy li es yles. Some i ness
acke s a e aimed owa ds ull-day ac i i y moni o ing, while o he s ocus on single wo kou
moni o ing. Use s employ biomoni o ing echnology in di e en oles wi hin hei li es. The
design o pe sonal heal h in o ma ics de ices is g ounded on he belie ha such sys ems can,
h ough he collec ion and p esen a ion o pe sonal in o ma ion, p omo e indi iduals’ sel -
awa eness and ha imp o ed sel -awa eness consequen ly leads o sel -insigh , sel -con ol,
and posi i e, heal hy beha io al change (e.g., Kho anskaya, Adams, Baume , Voida, & Gay,
2013). The quan i ied sel (QS) mo emen is a ne wo k o people whose aim is o p omo e sel -
moni o ing ac i i ies by acqui ing da a on a ious aspec s o use s’ physical bodies o imp o e
pe sonal heal h o p o essional p oduc i i y (Quan i ied Sel Labs, 2015).
By examining biomoni o ing h ough he lens o phenomenology, I p opose o e hink
sel - acking da a p oduc ion and i s a ionali ies. The undamen al aim o phenomenological
philosophy is o de elop a g ea e unde s anding o indi iduals’ expe iences h ough he
consciousness o he expe ience (Gio gi, 2009). The phenomenological app oach, as used
he e, is based on a phenomenological no ion o he body, mo e speci ically he dis inc ion
be ween he physical body, o Kö pe , and he li ed body, o Leib (Husse l, 1954/1970;
Lede , 1990, 1998). The p imacy o Kö pe has been highligh ed in many disciplines,
including biomedical echnology, and in di e se aspec s o spo sciences, physical educa ion,
and human–compu e in e ac ion (HCI). In he e e yday discou se o physical exe cise, he
body usually conce ns Kö pe , a co po eal en i y ha consis s o muscula ibe s, complex
b ainwa es, neu al pa hways, ci cula ion, and so on. In many popula i ness- aining
p og ams, people a e expec ed o modi y he Kö pe by building muscle, bu ning a and
calo ies, s e ching muscles and endons, and imp o ing ca dio ascula unc ioning.
In ying o p o ide an al e na i e o mind–body dualism, phenomenologis s (see, e.g.,
Gallaghe & Zaha i, 2012; Pa iainen, 2011) ou line he hi d ca ego y be ween body and he
mind, he Leib, as a conscious, ac i e, e lexi e, and embodied en i y. Following Husse l’s
no ion o Leib, Me leau-Pon y (1945/1962, p. 139) desc ibed he li ed body, co ps écu, as a
conscious subjec ha is ne e a me e physical hing bu has i s own in en ionali y and body
Pa iainen
58
awa eness. Me leau-Pon y (1945/1962) and Shee s-Johns one (1999) ha e s essed ha bodily
sensa ions, in pa icula ac ile and kines he ic sensa ions, may ha e clea meanings wi hou
o e symbolic (linguis ic) alue. The sense making o bodily mo emen s does no eside in
wo ds bu is e oked in he mee ing o he spa ial and ma e ial wo ld and o he li ing beings.
Today’s biosenso s can p o ide obus da a abou physical bodies, such as pulse, s ep
coun , blood p essu e, and so on. By collec ing and p ocessing da a based on so wa e, some
biosenso s also p o ide e bal o ex ual signals o use s, such as, “exe cise ha de ” o “d ink
wa e .” Howe e , people can expe ience a ange o ague bodily eelings and sensa ions ha
hey canno moni o . Fo ins ance, indi iduals canno expec o ecei e a diagnosis o he
eeling o esona ing wi h o he li ed bodies in e e yday li e, no ma e how well he senso s
wo k; making sense o hei ague bodily eelings du ing exe cise poses p oblems ha go
beyond eading signals om biosenso s. The phenomenological app oach o his s udy aims a
making sense o how biomoni o ing equipmen collec s physical da a om physical bodies bu
canno each li ed bodies, he bodily sensa ions, eelings, kines hesia, a ec s, a mosphe es, and
desi es in and be ween bodies.
Howe e , despi e i s clea asse s as a me hod, phenomenology some imes ails o add ess
he social con ex o li ed expe iences (Lang idge & Ahe n, 2003). Fu he mo e, al hough
phenomenology can help gene a e s uc u es o li ed expe iences, i is no sui able o making
gene aliza ions abou ins i u ional s uc u es (Mayoh & Onwuegbuzie, 2015). As Sa a (2013)
sugges ed, echnological ensembles now ake place on a g ea e scale han hey e e did be o e.
To mee he aims wi hin he b oade heo e ical amewo k o HCI, ac o –ne wo k heo y
(ANT; e.g., La ou , 1997) and heo e ical discussions o cho eog aphy (e.g., Schille &
Rubidge, 2014) a e b ough oge he o highligh he ole o mo emen in biomoni o ing. One
o he g ea es s eng hs o phenomenological me hodology is i s lexibili y and adap abili y
ha allow o i s inco po a ion wi hin o he disciplines (e.g., Dou ish, 2001; Ga za, 2007).
Gi en he ise o social ne wo king and mobile echnologies—and he e e -inc easing
digi aliza ion o leisu e and daily ac ions, including i ness ac i i y— he quan i y o pe sonal
da a being gene a ed oday has eached an unp eceden ed scale. Big da a is conside ed he e
p ima ily as a knowledge in as uc u e gene a ed h ough an ensemble o echniques (Ajana,
2015). When a socie y is becoming da a-d i en (Pen land, 2013), i is impo an o make
dis inc ions ega ding how pe sonal da a a e c ea ed. Obse ed da a, such as online shopping
beha io , a e in e ed and c ea ed om in o ma ion abou indi iduals collec ed by p og ams
(Mo ie , Haddadi, Hende son, McAuley & C owc o , 2015; Wo ld Economic Fo um, 2011).
Da a can be in en ionally c ea ed by indi iduals h ough online social ne wo k p o iles, which is
a p ocess called olun ee ed da a. Pe sonal da a c ea ed by wea ables a e obse ed da a bu
people usually p o ide i h ough online social ne wo k p o iles, so i becomes olun ee ed da a.
To desc ibe his da a collec ion and i s poli ical and economic implica ions, an e hno-
me hodological app oach o , being mo e speci ic, a “ne nog aphic” app oach, was used in his
s udy. As a modi ica ion o he e m e hnog aphy, ne nog aphy e e s o online ieldwo k ha
ollows om he concep ion o e hnog aphy as an adap able me hod (Kozine s, 2010). The
In e ne has become an impo an si e o esea ch, so a numbe o esea che s ha e u ilized
online communi ies—including newsg oups, weblogs, o ums, and social ne wo king
websi es— o examine a ious phenomena. Recen media ex s, such as newspape i ems,
columns, and blogs, a e used o illus a e how pe sonal heal h in o ma ics is collec ed h ough
senso s and acke s o gene a e big da a.
Quan i ied Bodies in he Checking Loop
59
When indi iduals a e bound h ough hei digi al de ices o p ocesses in which hei
pe sonal da a a e collec ed, analyzed, and aded, i is necessa y o e lec on he eedback
mechanism o his sys em. HCI esea ch has adi ionally ocused on he in e ac ions be ween
humans and compu e s-as-a i ac s. Howe e , Elmq is (2011) and Haddadi, Mo ie ,
McAuley and C owc o (2013) sugges ed ha i is ime o ecognize he phenomenon o
human–da a in e ac ion (HDI). HDI does no conce n in e ac ion be ween humans and
compu e s gene ally bu , a he , be ween humans and he analysis o la ge, ich pe sonal
da ase s. As Haddadi and his ellows (2013, p. 5) s a ed, “HDI o e laps HCI bu is no
con ained wi hin i .” HDI conce ns people in e ac ing wi h an appa en ly mundane
knowledge in as uc u e ha hey do no necessa ily ecognize o unde s and o would a he
igno e. Opening up such in as uc u e and i s dynamics is a challenge because he scale o
hese sys ems is much bigge han usually conside ed in in e ac ional s udies.
To unde s and he dynamism o how in o ma ion is gene a ed, wo pe spec i es a e
impo an : he indi idual (mic o) and he in as uc u al o ins i u ional (mac o). As Klause
and Alb ech s lund (2014) sugges ed, hese cons i u e he opposi e ends o he big da a
spec um. These opposi es a e no combined in an a bi a y manne bu include complex
eedback sys ems. In he endea o o s udy he in imacy inhe en in e e yday use o wea able
compu e s combined wi h big da a de elopmen , he no ion o cho eog aphy, La ou ’s no ion
o ANT, and he phenomenology o he body help o de elop a cohe en heo e ical amewo k.
The no ion o cho eog aphy and i s ela ed concep s, such as kines hesia and kinesphe e, assis
in cap u ing an in ima e in eg a ion o e e yday use o wea able senso s and li ed bodies.
In his pape , my aim is o de elop a new cho eog aphy-based heo e ical amewo k o
analyze biomoni o ing on a la ge scale, ins ead o as a me e pe sonal ac i i y. The no ion o
HDI (Haddadi e al., 2013) assis s discussions o human– echnology cho eog aphies o
conside wha kind o eedback sys ems link he mic ole el cho eog aphies o pe sonal
biomoni o ing o he mac ole el cho eog aphy o collec ing big da a. This pape begins, i s ly,
wi h how he p ocesses o collec ing pe sonal da a as heal h in o ma ics a e illus a ed based on
a ne nog aphic me hodology. Secondly, cho eog aphy as a heo e ical amewo k is in oduced
o show how i assis s in analyzing biomoni o ing in e e yday li e. Nex , pa icula a en ion
has been ocused on he phenomenological iew o embodimen o show why indi iduals
canno each he li ed body h ough i ness acke s. A e , my aim is o ou line how a
“checking loop,” such as a mic ole el cho eog aphy, has become no malized as an embodied
p ac ice in he con ex o i ness and well-being. The pape concludes by discussing eedback
sys ems ha u n he mac ole el cho eog aphy o gene a ing big da a back owa d ci izens and
consume s o es ablish new ypes o embodied disciplines and heal h ca e policies.
BIOMONITORING AND PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATICS
Pe sonal heal h in o ma ics da a, which ha e eme ged only in ecen yea s, ep esen an
en i ely new class o da a. They e e o sel -collec ed in ima e da a abou one’s own heal h
and heal h- ela ed ac i i ies, o en ob ained au onomously om sma phones, ac i i y
acke s, wea able de ices, and o he senso s. Sel - acking applica ions can collec all kinds
o e e yday ac i i ies, hough s, and s a uses in o disc e e da a ha can be s o ed, analyzed,
and used o guide o posi i e ou comes. They a e quan i iable, analy ical da a abou heal h,
Pa iainen
60
habi s, and ou ines, om he empe a u e in a pa icula sleep en i onmen o he exac
amoun o ime people ha e been s ill, si ing in a chai (e.g., Li, Dey, & Fo lizzi, 2011;
Thomaz, 2013). An inc easing numbe o people a e ca ying sma phones and de ices wi h
hem all day, e e y day, and hese de ices can be used o collec da a.
Mos mode n sma phones ha e a ple ho a o senso s buil in o hem and many o hese
ha e sel - acking applica ions. Sma phones a e p ima ily elephony de ices, bu he
inclusion o mul iple senso s along wi h a sui able app execu ion en i onmen can u n hem
in o gene al pu pose, sel - acking de ices. The senso s o sma phones may include an
accele ome e , gy oscope, ba ome e , hea a e senso , he mome e , p oximi y me e , and
na iga ion sys ems (Ba cena, Wuees , & Lau, 2014). Apps also assis use s in collec ing da a
om he physical body ha senso s cu en ly canno cap u e, such as da a on moods, ood
and d ink consump ion, aches and pains, and so on. In addi ion o sma phones, i ness
acke s like Fi bi , Jawbone UP, and Lullaby sense many ypes o human ac i i ies and
dissec hese ac i i ies in o quan i ied measu es, such as he numbe o hou s in REM sleep.
In moni o ing physiological measu emen s, such as pulse, espi a ion, and blood p essu e
in e ms o i ness ac i i ies, i ness acke s do no jus gi e eedback o he mo e , bu hey
also can allow da a o be collec ed and p ocessed based on p op ie a y so wa e and
algo i hms. Wea able de ices ypically ha e a small and ligh o m ac o , le ing use s wea
hem on he w is like a w is band o as a wa ch. Al e na i ely, hey can be a ached o spo s
equipmen such as unning shoes, clo hes, bikes, and mo e. These de ices usually con ain
accele ome e s and gy oscopic senso s ha a e esponsible o gene a ing he da a. Ba cena
and his ellows (2014, p. 12) s a ed ha , “By eading he s eam o da a om hese senso s
and hen applying da a p ocessing algo i hms, he de ices can ecognize pa e ns o iden i y
he wea e ’s cu en ac i i y.” To indica e how many calo ies he use has bu ned, o
example, a acke needs o access da a on he use ’s age, gende , heigh , and weigh and add
hem o da a abou he use ’s hea a e, es ima ion o pe spi a ion, and how many s eps ha e
been aken, and hen ul ima ely p ocess all his da a o gene a e he single measu e based on
i s algo i hm. To ansla e he aw da a in o ac ual igu es and s a is ics on hei sc eens,
i ness acke s use sligh ly di e en algo i hms.
As Thomaz (2013, p. 3) sugges ed, be o e i ness acke s and wea ables eme ged, “We
we e no conscious o how many ligh s o s ai s we climbed on a gi en day o he exac
amoun o ime spen b ushing ou ee h.” The e o e, om he pe spec i e o phenomenology,
i is clea ha hese sys ems a e ac ually acking aci bodily ac i i ies and make hese i ial
ou ines mo e isible in daily li e. In ac , biomoni o ing quan i ies a dimension o physical
bodies o which people we e no awa e and conside ed as i ele an in o ma ion. This s eam o
da a is o in e es now because people ha e collec i ely unde s ood ha hese p e iously
igno ed quan i iable dimensions implica e hei s a e o heal h and well-being o he ex en ha
hey should a end o hem. In e ec , da a collec ing by biosenso s cons i u es he ounda ion o
many heal h- ela ed ac i i ies and beha io s.
Recen ly launched i ness acke de ices, such as Apple’s iWa ch, a e al eady p epa ing o
play a bigge ole in collec ing heal h in o ma ics om hei use s. Sma ab ics and ma e ials,
smalle senso s and p ocesso s, and imp o ed ba e y li e wi hin he ubiqui ous communica ions
in as uc u e ha e all opened up a new wo ld o possibili ies o de ices ha can be wo n and
ca ied a ound all day. Mic oso and Apple a e in compe i ion o de elop a sma wa ch ha
includes glucose-moni o ing echnology. Olson (2014, p. 1) poin ed ou ha , glucose moni o ing

Quan i ied Bodies in he Checking Loop
61
is he holy g ail because o he insigh s ha could gi e in o wha someone has ea en. Tha would
be a c ucial da a poin o insu e s because die has a a g ea e impac on heal h han ac i i y.
Typically, pe sons who a e ac i ely acking hei bodies a e spo s en husias s. Using
senso s, keen unne s can collec da a abou hei unning ac i i y o help hem se pe o mance
goals and e alua e hei p og ess. Being cons an ly logged in o hei pe o mance da a, hey
can wi ness hei dynamic physical condi ion and choose a p ope echnique o imp o e hei
esul s. Mo eo e , as Ba cena and his ellows (2014, p. 6) s a ed, “The e a e also sel - acking
geeks who a e in e es ed in documen ing all ace s o hei daily li es in as much de ail as
possible in public and ha e u ned he whole idea in o an a o m.” Aside om en husias
use s, many people may be jus cu ious o wish o achie e a goal, such as losing weigh , ge ing
mo e sleep, o li ing a gene ally heal hie li es yle. While he heal h bene i s o use o sel -
acking de ices and apps canno be scien i ically p o en, many people clea ly belie e hey a e
bene icial o hei mo i a ion. Biomoni o ing and pe sonal in o ma ics a e pe cei ed la gely as
a posi i e de elopmen because hey o e people he oppo uni y o gain a mo e e ined
unde s anding o hei physical body’s condi ion. Ne e heless, i is s ill impo an o emain
c i ical and examine he ex en o which he p ac ice migh a ec hei li es.
Sel - acking is al eady a big business and is expec ed o g ow apidly. Acco ding o
P icewa e houseCoope ’s (2014) epo , 1 in 5 Ame icans owns some ype o wea able
echnology. This igu e does no include sma phones ha can un sel - acking apps ha would,
i accoun ed o , amoun o billions o uni s wo ldwide. Acco ding o a s udy by Fox and
Duggan (2013), 69% o Ame icans egula ly ack hei weigh , die , o exe cise ac i i y. One
key echnology d i e behind big da a is he po en ial o he wholesale o pe sonal da a
(Ba cena, e al., 2014). Fo ins ance, insu ance companies a e in e es ed in gaining access o da a
gene a ed by i ness acke s (Accen u e, 2015) because big da a would be ex emely aluable
o isk es ima ions.
Ne e be o e ha e such huge amoun s o heal h in o ma ics been collec ed, ansmi ed,
and s o ed abou use s. So he ques ion o anonymi y o da a has become mo e ele an . The
anonymi y o da a collec ion can be a isk when da a a e being sen om one de ice o
loca ion o ano he . One conce n is ha use s a e acked wi hou knowing o he de ices nea by
a e collec ing in o ma ion on hem. Al hough some o he da a could be conside ed highly
sensi i e, much o he in o ma ion lis ed is no . Fo example, hospi als a e equi ed o ca e ully
handle medical da a, bu da a abou he amoun o wa e a pe son d inks daily a e no seen as
delica e in o ma ion. Gaining access o pe sonal heal h da a is a po en ial goldmine o
employe s because hese da a can allow hem o gain deep insigh in o hei employees. Olson
(2014, p. 1) sugges ed ha “mo e employe s a e op ing o moni o da a being gene a ed by
i ness acke s— o he ex en hey can see i on a dashboa d—and a e holding hei insu ed
s a o accoun wi h ewa ds as pa o a g owing numbe o so-called co po a e-wellness
p og ams.” Employe s a e explo ing ways o moni o hei s a 's wea able de ices o help hem
educe heal h-ca e cos s. As pa o co po a e wellness p og ams, employe s may o e hei
employees i ness acke s and, as a se ice o moni o ing his da a, hey migh ewa d
employees o i ness ac i i y. To explo e u he why pe sonal da a a e no a me e pe sonal
issue, I conside in wha kind o heo e ical amewo k biomoni o ing can be analyzed on a
la ge scale wi hou losing ouch wi h i s in ima e ac .
Pa iainen
62
CHOREOGRAPHY AS THEORY
Cho eog aphy can be di ided in o p ac ice and heo y. Plen y o guidebooks o dance s uden s
and o he p ac i ione s p esen how o make cho eog aphies in p ac ice (e.g., Blom & Chaplin,
1989; Smi h-Au a d, 1996; Tu nell & C ickmay, 1993). Then he e is esea ch li e a u e ha
de elops heo e ical and philosophical app oaches o cho eog aphy, mainly in he con ex s o
dance cul u es and pe o mance (e.g., Kozel, 2007; Lepecki, 2006; Manning, 2009). The line
be ween p ac ice and heo y blu s, howe e , because mo emen heo ies usually eme ge om
p ac ical knowledge and expe ience, in ol ing a he meneu ic ci cle be ween heo izing and
p ac icing. Rudol Laban was a good example o a cho eog aphe who also de eloped a
mo emen heo y and mo emen analysis me hod. Laban’s e o –shape (1980) is a widely used
me hod o analyze e e yday bodily mo emen s in di e en con ex s, including HCI (e.g.,
Hummels, O e beeke, & Kloos e , 2007; Loke, La ssen, Robe son, & Edwa ds, 2007).
Howe e , as a mo emen heo y, e o –shape has some limi a ions in he con ex o his s udy.
Laban es ained he analysis o mo emen s and ges u es in a limi ed space and ime scope so, as
a heo y o cho eog aphy, i is no necessa ily he bes app oach o analyze mo emen s whose
scale can each ac oss he wo ld. In addi ion, he did no gi e much weigh o nonhuman agen s
and en i onmen s in making mo emen s.
My in e es in his pape is o conside mo emen as a ela ional ne o a ecip ocal and
dynamic ma ix. The cho eog aphy is mani es ed and ma e ialized by bodies, ac ion, and
en i onmen a he han simply bodies making mo emen s o c ea e cho eog aphy. The e is a
easonable amoun o heo e ical discussion o cho eog aphy (e.g., Bu e wo h & Wildschu ,
2009; Fos e , 1995; Hun e 2015; Klien, 2007; Pa iainen, 2010; Robe son, Lycou is, & Johson,
2007; Schille & Rubidge, 2014) ha can assis in de eloping a cohe en cho eog aphic app oach
o unde s anding mo emen in he con ex o his s udy. I wish o (a) conside cons ella ions o
mo emen s in which a ious ac o s/agen s a e in ol ed and (b) dis up no ions o inside e sus
ou side he body. In his con ex , cho eog aphy is no seen as belonging o he domain o dance.
Ra he , cho eog aphy e e s o mo emen s and ac i i ies in which mo emen s appea o o m
meaning ul in e ac ions and ela ions in a li ed space be ween a ious anima e o inanima e
agen s. Thus, no cho eog aphe alone could lead he dynamics o his cons ella ion; a he , human
and nonhuman agen s ha e connec ions wi h each o he ha es ablish ongoing cho eog aphy.
T ea ing human and nonhuman agen s symme ically he e, cho eog aphy is seen o a ise om
hei ela ions ha become pe cep ible h ough mo emen s, mo ion, pa e ns, and hy hms.
This no ion o cho eog aphy esona es wi h heo ies o he ac o ne wo k (e.g., La ou ,
1997; Law, 1992). La ou (1997) and his colleagues (e.g., Law, 1992) sugges ed ha objec s
can become agen s o ac an s wi h humans, in luencing ac ion as well as esul ing om i . An
assemblage o people, objec s, and echnologies a e composed o he e ogeneous elemen s ha
en e in o ela ions wi h one ano he . When digi al echnologies, ac ion, and ma e iali y
in e wine, human bodies do no emain independen en i ies om echnologies. In his
assemblage, embodied connec ions wi h digi al echnologies modi y physical and li ed bodies,
o ming new kinds o embodied p ac ices. Debo ah Lup on (2013, p. 400), alluding o Pe e
F eund, used he e m “ echnological habi us” o desc ibe how bodies de elop new habi s and
ou ines o blend in wi h he unc ion o echnologies. She sugges ed ha bodies do no
in e mesh smoo hly o seamlessly wi hin echnology bu a he he e a e disjunc ions be ween
bodies and objec s. Embodied p ac ices do no e e o me e habi ua ion o he domes ica ion o
Quan i ied Bodies in he Checking Loop
63
echnology bu o how new bodily ac i i ies a e de eloped o cope wi h o u ilize new
echnologies. Fo ins ance, unning as a o m o physical ac i i y is no dependen on any high-
ech gadge s. Bu , unning wi h senso s and wea ables depends on an assemblage o i ness
acke s, apps, and pe haps link s a ions in he unning en i onmen . Al hough unning wi h
wea ables mobilizes a new ype o assemblage, i also changes he s yle o unning when unne s
need o check ce ain numbe s and igu es on hei w is bands o adjus hei unning speed. In
his ela ional ma e ialism, ac an s a e managed o make new ela ionships and o m new
unning ou ines as embodied p ac ices.
La ou ’s (1997) app oach o ANT emphasized agency and an assemblage o ac o s in which
he did no gi e much conce n o expe ien ial aspec s o hese ac an s; in o he wo ds, how eelings,
a ec s, and sensa ions in luence ela ions among ac an s. The cho eog aphic and
phenomenological app oach is o ocus on he quali y o ac ion: How does he special quali y o
ac an s’ mo emen keep ac ion ali e and make hings happen? To answe o his ques ion, i is
impo an o e hink he meaning o mo emen and kines hesia (e.g., Husse l, 1973/1997; Shee s-
Johns one, 1999) in an assemblage o people, objec s, and echnologies. I is necessa y o conside
wha kind o ole mo emen and li ed bodies ha e in making a ec i e ela ionships when pulling
and pushing hings owa ds a cons ella ion. This no ion o cho eog aphy challenges he adi ional
iew o echnology as esiding in indi idual cogni i e o psychological p ocesses and ins ead
shi s he ocus o HCI owa d embodied social ac i i ies and ansi ions in a ne wo k o
he e ogeneous elemen s. This cho eog aphic app oach ecognizes he impo ance o he in e ac ion
o ha dwa e and so wa e echnologies, bodies, and en i onmen s b ough oge he in an ac i e
ela ionship and in a pa icula spa ial con igu a ion ha can be bo h planned and imp o ised.
Kines hesia plays a cen al ole he e in unde s anding in e ac ion among li ed bodies and
hei in e ac ions wi hin ma e ial en i onmen s. As a sense o mo ion, kines hesia is some hing
ha helps esea che s ecognizes di e ences and simila i ies wi hin a pe son’s own mo emen
quali ies, hap ic sensa ions, and he mo ing objec s a ound hem. When one li s an objec , his
e eals some hing abou he objec ’s weigh . Rubbing ones inge s ac oss an objec e eals
de ails abou he ex u e and shape o he objec . Squeezing an objec says some hing abou i s
comp essibili y. Thus, bodily mo emen s a e undamen ally in en ional and mind ul in
hemsel es in a way ha hey ha e a special kind o e lec i e hinking (Shee s-Johns one,
1999). Howe e , in he p esen s udy, he dynamics o in e ac ion among bodies each beyond
immanen bodily expe iences and kines he ic limi s.
In my p e ious s udies wi h colleagues (Pa iainen, Tuu i, & Pi honen, 2013), we
de eloped a no ion o cho eog aphy ha can help o e ol e a cohe en heo e ical amewo k in
which he emphasis is on he in ima e physical con ac o senso s combined wi h big da a
gene a ed. We dis inguished h ee scopes o cho eog aphy by using he e ms mic o-, local-,
and mac o-le els. In a mic ole el analysis, he ocus is on, o ins ance, he mo emen o he
index inge swiping ac oss he sc een. These a e he mo emen s ha ake place wi hin one’s
kinesphe e o in e nally. Local-le el cho eog aphies e e o bodies in hei social in e ac ion,
o ins ance, when passenge s, si ing o s anding on he me o, hide behind hei phones in
ying o a oid eye con ac wi h o he people. The mac ole el cho eog aphy e e s o la ge-
scale mo emen s ha go beyond human embodied e o s, o ins ance, o link anspo ing
in as uc u es o he In e ne o c ea e ex ensi e ajec o ies. Thus, hose passenge s on he
me o, hiding behind hei mobiles, migh ead ex messages om hei iends on o he
con inen s o wa ch a ideo on YouTube ha has been seen by o e 100 million o he people.
Pa iainen
64
Ins ead o ocusing on ma e ial objec s and singula ges u es in using hem, his cho eog aphic
app oach o e s a new heo y o conside mo emen s as ajec o ies, ansi ions, and ela ions in
in e ac ion design. This app oach does no es ain he analysis o mo emen s and ges u es in a
limi ed space/ ime scope bu akes in o accoun he scale o he h ee le els o cho eog aphy
ha a e usually in ol ed when people use digi al de ices in e e yday li e.
Be o e I conside u he he idea o cho eog aphy in he con ex o biomoni o ing and
i ness acke s, he no ion o innesphe e is in oduced o illumina e he di e ence be ween
he li ed body and he physical body.
INNESPHERE AND THE LIVED BODY
Tu ning back o Laban (1966, p. 10), he c ea ed he concep o kinesphe e ha was de ined as
he “space which can be eached by easily ex ended limbs.” By kinesphe e, Laban e e ed o
bodily mo emen s and ac i i ies in an “indi idual bubble.” D awing on he sociological
discussions o pe sonal space (Moo e & Yamamo o, 1988) and he phenomenological no ion o
subjec i e space, he concep o kinesphe e can be also unde s ood o include a ec i e and
social conno a ions o ming li ed space. The spa iali y ha indi iduals li e in and h ough hei
bodies and ha su ounds hem is called li ed space, and i plays a cen al ole in local-le el
cho eog aphies. Phenomenologis s (e.g., Husse l, 1973/1997; Me leau-Pon y, 1945/1962)
conside ed ha he li ed body canno be ea ed as a me e ma e ial objec ha loca es in he
h ee-dimensional geome ic space. In his sense, he no ion o li ed space di e s om he
schema o Euclidean h ee-dimensional space o a me e indi idual bubble. Objec i e space can
be sc u inized and measu ed wi h ixed me ics, and i has become he ounda ion o he physical
sciences and digi al echnology.
To unde s and human mo emen in all i s complexi y, i is no enough o ocus on physical
bodily mo ion wi hin he kinesphe e bu also o he inne mo emen s o he body. I he
kinesphe e is he li ed space ha can be eached easily by ex ended limbs, innesphe e conce ns
he in e nal space ha can be eached unde he skin. The skin should no be unde s ood as a
bounda y be ween he kinesphe e and he innesphe e bu a he as an in e ace ha binds oge he
inne bodily eelings and ou e pe cep ion. The e m “body image” aims o cap u e he in e nal
and in ima e eelings o one’s own body, bu i emphasizes oo much he isual and psychological
aspec s o embodimen . The no ions o “body awa eness” (Mehling e al., 2011) o “body
opology” (Fos e , 1997) a e mo e help ul in unde s anding wha is mean he e by he dynamics
o innesphe e as a li ed space. Body opog aphy emphasizes he spa ial cha ac e o he body as a
li ed space ha desc ibes in e nally el body pa s and spo s and ela ions as a mo ing s uc u e.
Thus, mo emen s wi hin he body opog aphy and innesphe e do no jus simply e e o bodily
unc ions such as hea bea s o b ea hing, bu how we eel hem. Indi iduals usually loca e he
eeling o pain somewhe e in hei body opog aphy, iden i ying i s sensuous dynamism wi h
e ms like sha p, so e, i chy, s abbing, bu ning, s i , s inging, ende , humping, o igh . Feeling
bodily sensa ions, as examples o mo emen s wi hin he innesphe e, can also be imagina y and
socially loaded. I meaning mo emen s wi hin he body opog aphy can be imagina y o pa ly
cul u ally cons uc ed, hen wea able echnologies can ha dly ack hem.
The e o e, wea able echnologies canno ack sensa ions, eelings, and mo emen s wi hin
he body opog aphy in a manne ha makes immedia e sense and in ui i e unde s anding.
Quan i ied Bodies in he Checking Loop
71
Fox, S., & Duggan, M. (2013). T acking o heal h. Re ie ed Augus 21, 2015, om he Pew Resea ch Cen e :
h p://www.pewin e ne .o g/ iles/old-media//Files/Repo s/2013/PIP_T acking o Heal h%20wi h%20appendix.pd
Gallaghe , S., & Zaha i, D. (2012). The phenomenological mind. London, UK: Rou ledge.
Ga za, G. (2007). Va ie ies o phenomenological esea ch a he Uni e si y o Dallas. Quali a i e Resea ch in
Psychology, 4, 313–342. doi: 10.1080/14780880701551170
Gio gi, A. (2009). The desc ip i e phenomenological me hod in psychology. Pi sbu gh PA, USA: Duquesne
Uni e si y P ess.
Haddadi, H., Mo ie , R., McAuley, D., & C owc o , J. (2013). Human-da a in e ac ion (Technical Repo No.
837). Re ie ed Oc obe 19, 2015 om he Uni e si y o Camb idge Compu e Labo a o y websi e:
h p://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/ ech epo s/
Ha wood, K. (2014). Algo i hms: The nex wea able ech on ie . Re ie ed Oc obe 19, 2015, om
h p://www.wi ed.com/insigh s/2014/10/algo i hms-wea able- ech- on ie /
Hummels, C., O e beeke, K. C. J., & Kloos e , S. (2007). Mo e o ge mo ed: A sea ch o me hods, ools and
knowledge o design o exp essi e and ich mo emen -based in e ac ion. Pe sonal and Ubiqui ous
Compu ing, 11, 677–690.
Hun e , V. (2015). Mo ing si es: In es iga ing si e-speci ic dance pe o mance. London, UK: Rou ledge.
Husse l, E. (1970). The c isis o Eu opean sciences and anscenden al phenomenology (D. Ca , T ans.).
E ans on, IL, USA: No hwes e n Uni e si y P ess. (O iginal wo k published in 1954)
Husse l, E. (1997). Thing and space. Lec u es 1907 (R. Rojcewicz, T ans.). Do d ech , he Ne he lands: Kluwe
Academic Publishe s. (O iginal wo k published in 1973)
Kap elinin, V., & Na di, B. A. (2006). Ac ing wi h echnology: Ac i i y heo y and in e ac ion design.
Camb idge, MA, USA: The MIT P ess.
Ke , I., & Ea le, J. (2013). P edic ion, p eemp ion, p esump ion: How big da a h ea ens big pic u e p i acy.
S an o d Law Re iew [online], 66, 65–72. Re ie ed Augus 21, 2015, om
www.s an o dlaw e iew.o g/online/p i acy-and-big-da a/p edic ion-p eemp ion-p esump ion
Kho anskaya, V., Adams, P., Baume , E. P.S., Voida, S., & Gay, G. (2013, Ap il). The alue o a c i ical
app oach o pe sonal heal h in o ma ics. Pape p esen ed a he CHI 2013 wo kshop Pe sonal In o ma ics
in he Wild: Hacking Habi s o Heal h & Happiness, Pa is, F ance. Re ie ed Ma ch 10, 2015, om
h p://www.pe sonalin o ma ics.o g/docs/chi2013/kho anskaya.pd
Klause , F. R., & Alb ech slund, A. (2014). F om sel - acking o sma u ban in as uc u es: Towa ds an
in e disciplina y esea ch agenda on big da a. Su eillance & Socie y 12(2), 273–286.
Klien, M. (2007). Cho eog aphy: A pa e n language. Kybe ne es, 36(7/8), 1081–1088.
Kozel, S. (2007). Close : Pe o mance, echnologies, phenomenology. Camb idge MA, USA: The MIT P ess.
Kozine s, R. V. (2010). Ne nog aphy: Doing e hnog aphic esea ch online. Thousand Oaks CA, USA: Sage Publica ions.
Laban, R. (1966). Cho eu ics. London, UK: MacDonald and E ans.
Laban, R. (1980). The mas e y o mo emen . London, UK: MacDonald and E ans.
Lang idge, M. E., & Ahe n, K. (2003). A case epo on using mixed me hods in quali a i e esea ch. Collegian,
10(4), 32–36. doi: 10.1016/S1322-7696(08)60074-8
La ou , B. (1997). On ac o –ne wo k heo y: A ew cla i ica ions. Re ie ed Augus 21, 2015, om he Cen e o
Social Theo y and Technology, Keele Uni e si y, UK: h p://keele.ac.uk/dep s/s /s /an /la ou .h m.
Law, J. (1992). No es on he heo y o he ac o ne wo k: O de ing, s a egy and he e ogenei y. Sys ems
P ac ice, 5(4), 379–393.
Lede , D. (1990). The absen body. Chicago IL, USA: Uni e si y o Chicago P ess.
Lede , D. (1998). A ale o wo bodies: The Ca esian co pse and he li ed body. In D. Wel on (Ed.), Body and
lesh: A philosophical eade (pp. 117–130). Malden, MA, USA: Blackwell Publishe s.
Lepecki, A. (2006). Exhaus ing dance: Pe o mance and he poli ics o mo emen . London, UK: Rou ledge.

Pa iainen
72
Li, I., Dey, A. K., & Fo lizzi, J. (2011). Unde s anding my da a, mysel : Suppo ing sel - e lec ion wi h
ubicomp echnologies. In J. Landay, Y. Shi, D. J. Pa e son, Y. Roge s, & X. Xie (Eds.), P oceedings o
he 13 h In e na ional Con e ence on Ubiqui ous Compu ing (UbiComp '11; pp. 405-414). New Yo k, NY,
USA: ACM. doi: 10.1145/2030112.2030166
Loke, L., La ssen, A. T., Robe son, T., & Edwa ds, J. (2007). Unde s anding mo emen o in e ac ion design:
F amewo ks and app oaches. Pe sonal and Ubiqui ous Compu ing, 11, 691–701.
Lup on, D. (2013). Quan i ying he body: Moni o ing and measu ing heal h in he age o mHeal h echnologies.
C i ical Public Heal h, 23(4), 393–403. doi: 10.1080/09581596.2013.794931.
Manning, E. (2009). Rela ionscapes: Mo emen , a , philosophy. Camb idge, MA, USA: The MIT P ess.
Mano ich, L. (2012). T ending: The p omises and he challenges o big social da a. In M. K. Gold (Ed.), Deba es
in he digi al humani ies (pp. 460–75). Minneapolis, MN, USA: The Uni e si y o Minneso a P ess.
Manyika, J., Chui, M., B own, B., Bughin, J., Dobbs, R., Roxbu gh, C., & Hung Ri e s, A. (2011). Big da a:
The nex on ie o inno a ion, compe i ion, and p oduc i i y. Re ie ed June 4, 2015, om he
McKinsey Global Ins i u e websi e:
www.mckinsey.com/insigh s/business_ echnology/big_da a_ he_nex _ on ie _ o _inno a ion
Mayoh, J., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2015). Towa d a concep ualiza ion o mixed me hods phenomenological
esea ch. Jou nal o Mixed Me hods Resea ch, 9(1), 91–107. doi: 10.1177/1558689813505358
Medynskiy, Y., & Myna , E. D. (2010, Ap il). F om pe sonal heal h in o ma ics o heal h sel -managemen . In
CHI 2010 wo kshop Know Thysel : Moni o ing and Re lec ing on Face s o One's Li e, A lan a, GA,
USA. Re ie ed Augus 25, 2015, om
h p://www.pe sonalin o ma ics.o g/docs/chi2010/medynskiy_pe sonal_heal h_in o ma ics.pd
Mehling, W, E., W ubel, J., Daubenmie , J., P ice, C., Ke , C. E., Silow, T., Gopise y, V., & S ewa , A.
(2011). Body awa eness: A phenomenological inqui y in o he common g ound o mind–body he apies.
Philosophy, E hics and Humani ies in Medicine, 6(6), 1–12.
Me leau-Pon y, M. (1962). Phenomenology o pe cep ion (C. Smi h, T ans.). New Yo k, NY, USA: Rou ledge.
(O iginal wo k published in 1945)
Moo e, C. L., & Yamamo o, K. (1988). Beyond wo ds. New Yo k, NY, USA: Go don and B each.
Mo ie , R., Haddadi, H., Hende son, T., McAuley, D., & C owc o , J. (2015). Human–da a in e ac ion: The
human ace o he da a-d i en socie y. Re ie ed Oc obe 19, 2015, om he Co nell Uni e si y Lib a y
websi e: h p://a xi .o g/abs/1412.6159 2
Mowb ay, S. (2013, June 27). I’m obsessed wi h walking 10,000 s eps a day [Web log pos ]. Re ie ed Ma ch
18, 2016, om h p://simme andboil.cookingligh .com/2013/06/27/walking-10000-s eps-a-day/
Mulle , B. (2004). (Dis)quali ied bodies: Secu i iza ion, ci izenship and “iden i y managemen .” Ci izenship
S udies, 8(3), 279–294. doi: 10.1080/1362102042000257005
Nagamu a, T. (2015). The ac ion o looking a a mobile phone display as non e bal beha io /communica ion: A
heo e ical pe spec i e. Compu e s in Human Beha io , 43, 68–75. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.10.042
Nissenbaum, H. (2009). P i acy in con ex : Technology, policy, and he in eg i y o social li e. S an o d, CA,
USA: S an o d Law Books.
Olson, P. (2014, June 14). Wea able ech is plugging in o heal h insu ance. Fo bes [online; unpagina ed]. Re ie ed
June 4, 2015, om h p://www. o bes.com/si es/pa myolson/2014/06/19/wea able- ech-heal h-insu ance
Pa iainen, J. (2010). Cho eog aphing esis ances: Kinaes he ic in elligence and bodily knowledge as poli ical
ools in ac i is wo k. Mobili ies, 5(3), 311–330.
Pa iainen, J. (2011). The s anda diza ion p ocess o mo emen in he i ness indus y: The expe ience design o
Les Mills cho eog aphies. Eu opean Jou nal o Cul u al S udies, 14(5), 526–541.
Pa iainen, J., Tuu i, K., & Pi honen, A. (2013). D i ing down he echnologiza ion o li e: Could
cho eog aphy-based in e ac ion design suppo us in engaging wi h he wo ld and ou embodied li ing?
Challenges, 4(1), 103–115. doi: 10.3390/challe4010103
Quan i ied Bodies in he Checking Loop
73
Pen land, A. S. (2013). The da a-d i en socie y. Scien i ic Ame ican, 309(4), 78–83.
doi: 10.1038/scien i icame ican1013-78.
P icewa e houseCoope s. (2014). The wea able u u e [Consume In elligence Se ies]. Re ie ed Ma ch 19,
2016, om h p://www.pwc.com/us/en/indus y/en e ainmen -media/publica ions/consume -in elligence-
se ies/asse s/pwc-cis-wea able- u u e.pd
Quan i ied Sel Labs. (2015). Re ie ed Augus 21, 2015, om h p://quan i iedsel .com/
Robe s, J. A., & Yaya, P., Hono e, L., & Manolis, C. (2014). The in isible addic ion: Cell-phone ac i i ies and
addic ion among male and emale college s uden s. Jou nal o Beha io al Addic ion, 3(4), 254–265.
Robe son, A., Lycou is, S., & Johson, J. (2007). An app oach o he design o in e ac i e en i onmen s, wi h
e e ence o cho eog aphy, a chi ec u e, he science and he complex sys ems and 4D design. In e na ional
Jou nal o Pe o mance A s and Digi al Media, 3(2-3), 281–294.
Sanches, P., Kosmack Vaa a, E., Sjölinde , M., Weymann, C. & Höök, K. (2010, Ap il). A ec i e heal h:
Designing o empowe men a he han s ess diagnosis. Pape p esen ed a he CHI 2010 wo kshop Know
Thysel : Moni o ing and Re lec ing on Face s o One’s Li e, A lan a, GA, USA. Re ie ed Ma ch 10,
2014, om h p://www.pe sonalin o ma ics.o g/docs/chi2010/sanches_a ec i e_heal h.pd
Sa a , D. (2013). Undoing he digi al: Technology, subjec i i y and ac ion in he con ol socie y. London, UK:
Palg a e.
Schille , G., & Rubidge, S. (2014). In oduc ion. In G. Schille & S. Rubidge (Eds.), Cho eog aphic dwellings:
P ac ising place (pp. 1–10). New Yo k, NY, USA: Palg a e Macmillan.
Shee s-Johns one, M. (1999). The p imacy o mo emen . Ams e dam, he Ne he lands: John Benjamins.
Smi h-Au a d, J. M. (1996). Dance composi ion. London, UK: Lepus Book.
de Souza e Sil a, A., & F i h, J. (2012). Mobile in e aces in public spaces: Loca ional p i acy, con ol, and
u ban sociabili y. London, UK: Rou ledge.
Thomaz, E. (2013, Ap il). A human-cen e ed concep ual model o pe sonal heal h in o ma ics da a. In CHI
2013 wo kshop Pe sonal In o ma ics in he Wild: Hacking Habi s o Heal h & Happiness, Pa is, F ance.
Re ie ed Augus 25, 2015, om h p://www.pe sonalin o ma ics.o g/docs/chi2013/ homaz.pd
Tu nell, M., & C ickmay, C. (1993). Body space image: No es owa d imp o isa ion and pe o mance. London,
UK: Dance Books.
Wo ld Economic Fo um (in collabo a ion wi h Bain & Company). (2011). Pe sonal da a: The eme gence o a
new asse class. Re ie ed Oc obe 19, 2015, om
h p://www3.we o um.o g/docs/WEF_ITTC_Pe sonalDa aNewAsse _Repo _2011.pd
Au ho ’s No e
This esea ch ecei ed unding om he Minis y o Educa ion and Cul u e in Finland.
All co espondence should be add essed o
Jaana Pa iainen
Uni e si y o Tampe e
School o Social Sciences and Humani ies
Kale an ie 4
Tampe e, 33014, Finland
Jaana.P[email p o ec ed]
Human Technology: An In e disciplina y Jou nal on Humans in ICT En i onmen s
ISSN 1795-6889
www.human echnology.jyu. i