Side-by-Side Success: How Body Doubling Changes the Game

Psychologically Speaking with Leila Ainge

In todays episode I’m chatting to Tessa and Bre who, discuss their research at the University of California Santa Cruz, on body doubling, how folk – especially those with ADHD, use it as a tool for productivity and social interaction. Our conversation looks at the benefits of body doubling, its community-driven nature, different types of body doubling and of course cyber, the role of technology in facilitating these interactions.

Leya Breanna Baltaxe-Admony is a technologist and researcher focused on advancing assistive and healthcare technologies. She has a multidisciplinary background in robotics engineering and human-centered design approaches. She recently graduated with a PhD in computational media from the University of California Santa Cruz, where her dissertation explored equitable engineering and design methods for collaborative development with disabled communities.

You can find Bre on the internet @leyabreanna

Tessa Eagle is a researcher specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and neurodivergent communities. Her research draws from Critical Disability Studies to study online support systems for neurodivergent individuals and push back on neuronormative technology research and healthcare practices. Her expertise lies in driving user-centered design by deeply understanding and engaging with the needs of diverse communities.