The paper “Progress Feedback for Countering Selective Exposure: When Visualisation Can Backfire” received the Best Late-Breaking Results (LBR) Award at UMAP 2026. Two HICUP Lab members, Marko Tkalčič and Uroš Sergaš co-authored the paper together with Janine Riemann, Jasmin Alt, and Bruce Ferwerda. The award recognises the contribution of the work within the field of user modelling, adaptation, and personalisation, and highlights research connected to HICUP Lab and its international collaborators.
This study investigates whether different types of visual feedback about news consumption can reduce selective exposure, i.e., the tendency to favour information that confirms one’s existing beliefs. The authors compared an analytical display of viewpoint balance, which used two separate bars to show how much of each side participants consumed, with a metaphorical “growth” display that framed exposure to opposing views as personal development. In a controlled experiment with 84 participants, neither approach significantly increased engagement with counter-attitudinal content compared to a control group. The findings suggest that visual balance feedback alone, without personalisation or algorithmic adjustments, may be insufficient for mitigating selective exposure in a single session.
More details about this news can be found on the faculty website: UP FAMNIT News
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