Biography

Education:
Ph.D., Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science
M.Sc., Social and Cultural Psychology, London School of Economics and Political Science
M.A., International Relations, Jacobs University
B.A., Political Science, University of Bremen

Research Expertise:
What do we actually do with our personal devices in everyday life?

My research aims to improve our foundational understanding of technology use and user habits. I am broadly interested in human-computer interaction, including user experiences with smartphones & smart devices, social media, as well as hybrid spaces and extended reality. I also work on digitally-mediated work interactions with a focus on digital social norms and digital workplace culture.

While I am a mixed-methods researcher, I generally use video-ethnography techniques (SEBE) as a first step to ground research in real-world contexts. I am particularly interested in the routines and behavioral patterns that emerge from technology use, and how they influence everyday decision-making processes regarding the use of time and the direction of attention. 

Professional Memberships:
Association for Computing Machinery

Select Publications:
Heitmayer, M. (2025). When the phone’s away, people use their computer to play. Distance to the smartphone reduces device usage but not overall distraction and task fragmentation during work. Frontiers in Computer Science, 7, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2025.1422244.

Heitmayer, M. (2025). The second wave of attention economics. Attention as a universal currency on social media and beyond. Interacting with Computers, 37 (1), 18-29, https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwae035.

Heinrich, A., Heitmayer, M., Smith, E., Zhang, Y. (2024), Experiencing hybrid spaces. A systematic literature review of empirical studies on human experiences in cyber-physical environments. Computers in Human Behavior, 164, 108502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108502

Heitmayer, M., Schimmelpfennig, R. (2023). Netiquette as digital social norms, 40 (13), 3334-3354. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2188534

Heitmayer, M.*, Lahlou, S. (2021). Why are smartphones disruptive? An empirical study of smartphone use in real-life contexts. Computers in Human Behavior, 116, 106637, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106637

Everri, M., Heitmayer, M., Yamin-Slotkus, P. & Lahlou, S. (2020). Ethical challenges of using video for qualitative research and ethnography: State of the art and prospective solutions. In: Lähdesmäki, T., Koskinen-Kovisto, E., Čeginskas, V., Koistinen, A.: Challenges and Solutions in Ethnographic Research. Ethnography with a Twist. Milton Park, United Kingdom: Routledge, p. 67-83.