Assoc. Prof. II Alain Starke

Key Researcher

University of Bergen
Alain Starke performs research at the intersection of human-computer interaction, digital nudging, and behavioral change. He obtained a PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands in 2019, for his work on ‘psychologically-aware’ recommender systems in the household energy-saving domain. Afterwards, he shifted his attention more towards the food and news domains. Starke is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands, where he investigates how food advice can personalized to promote healthier eating habits, by personalizing both the content and the context of the advice. This theme of adapting the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of advice is also featured in his news search and recommendation work at MediaFutures, which Starke joins in the capacity of Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies, University of Bergen. Starke has been awarded multiple grants, including two personal grants: The Research Talent Grant from the Netherlands Science Organization (€200,000) and a Niels Stensen Fellowship (€60,000). He is the main author of articles in leading journals in the energy and food domain, as well as published at CORE A-level conferences, such as CHI, IUI, and RecSys.

2024

Majjodi, Ayoub El; Khan, Sohail Ahmed; Starke, Alain D.; Elahi, Mehdi; Trattner, Christoph

Advancing Visual Food Attractiveness Predictions for Healthy Food Recommender Systems Conference

The ACM Conference on Recommender Systems (RecSys) 2024, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Solberg, Vegard R.; Larsen, Sebastian Øverhaug; Trattner, Christoph

Examining the Merits of Feature-specific Similarity Functions in the News Domain using Human Judgments Journal Article

In: User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Rosnes, Daniel; Starke, Alain; Trattner, Christoph

Shaping the Future of Content-based News Recommenders: Insights from Evaluating Feature-Specific Similarity Metrics Conference

ACM UMAP '24, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Bremnes, Anders Sandvik; Knudsen, Erik; Trilling, Damian; Trattner, Christoph

Perception versus Reality: Evaluating User Awareness of Political Selective Exposure in News Recommender Systems Conference

ACM UMAP 2024, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Jeng, Jia Hua; Kasangu, Gloria Anne Babile; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Emotional Reframing of Economic News using a Large Language Model Conference

ACM UMAP 2024, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Willemsen, Martijn C.

Psychologically Informed Design of Energy Recommender Systems: Are Nudges Still Effective in Tailored Choice Environments? Book Chapter

In: pp. 221–259, A Human-Centered Perspective of Intelligent Personalized Environments and Systems, 2024.

Links | BibTeX

Pera, Maria Soledad; Cena, Federica; Landoni, Monica; Musto, Cataldo; Starke, Alain D.

Human Factors in User Modeling for Intelligent Systems Book Chapter

In: pp. 3–42, A Human-Centered Perspective of Intelligent Personalized Environments and Systems, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Kruse, Johannes; Michiels, Lien; Starke, Alain D.; Tintarev, Nava; Vrijenhoek, Sanne

NORMalize: A Tutorial on the Normative Design and Evaluation of Information Access Systems Proceedings Article

In: CHIIR '24: Proceedings of the 2024 ACM SIGIR Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval , 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Vrijenhoek, Sanne; Michiels, Lien; Kruse, Johannes; Starke, Alain; Guerrero, Jordi Viader; Tintarev, Nava

Report on NORMalize: The First Workshop on the Normative Design and Evaluation of Recommender Systems Proceedings Article

In: 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

2023

Starke, Alain; Emami, Kimia; Makarová, Andrea; Ferwerda, Bruce

Using Visual and Linguistic Framing to Support Sustainable Decisions in an Online Store Conference

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) RecSys ’23,, 2023.

Links | BibTeX

Majjodi, Ayoub El; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

The Interplay between Food Knowledge, Nudges, and Preference Elicitation Methods Determines the Evaluation of a Recipe Recommender System Conference

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) RecSys ’23, 2023.

Links | BibTeX

Knudsen, Erik; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Topical Preference Trumps Other Features in News Recommendation: A Conjoint Analysis on a Representative Sample from Norway Conference

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) RecSys ’23, 2023.

Links | BibTeX

Jeng, Jia Hua; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Towards Attitudinal Change in News Recommender Systems: A Pilot Study on Climate Change Workshop

2023.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Angelsen, Aslaug; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Healthiness and environmental impact of dinner recipes vary widely across developed countries Journal Article

In: Nature Food , 2023.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

2022

Majjodi, Ayoub El; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Nudging Towards Health? Examining the Merits of Nutrition Labels and Personalization in a Recipe Recommender System Conference

Nudging Towards Health? Examining the Merits of Nutrition Labels and Personalization in a Recipe Recommender System, 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Elahi, Mehdi; Starke, Alain D.; Ioini, Nabil El; Lambrix, Anna Alexander; Trattner, Christoph

Developing and Evaluating a University Recommender System Journal Article

In: Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence , 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

2021

Lee, Minha; Noortman, Renee; Zaga, Cristina; Starke, Alain D.; Huisman, Gijs; Andersen, Kristina

Conversational Futures: Emancipating Conversational Interactions for Futures Worth Wanting Conference

no. May 2021, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Willemsen, Martijn C.; Trattner, Christoph

Nudging Healthy Choices in Food Search Through Visual Attractiveness Journal Article

In: no. April 2021, pp. 1-18, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Berge, Arngeir; Sjøen, Vegard Velle; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Changing Salty Food Preferences with Visual and TextualExplanations in a Search Interface Journal Article

In: CEUR Workshop Proceedings, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Larsen, Sebastian Øverhaug; Trattner, Christoph

Predicting Feature-based Similarity in the News Domain Using Human Judgments Proceedings Article

In: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2021.

Links | BibTeX

Berge, Arngeir; Sjøen, Vegard Velle; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Changing Salty Food Preferences with Visual and Textual Explanations in a Search Interface Proceedings Article

In: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2021.

Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph; Bakken, Hedda; Johannessen, Martin Skivenesvåg; Solberg, Vegard

The Cholesterol Factor: Balancing Accuracy and Health in Recipe Recommendation Through a Nutrient-Specific Metric Proceedings Article

In: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2021.

Links | BibTeX

Musto, Cataldo; Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph; Rapp, Amon; Semeraro, Giovanni

Exploring the effects of natural language justifications on food recommender systems Proceedings Article

In: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2021.

Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Trattner, Christoph

Promoting Healthy Food Choices Online: A Case for Multi-List Recommender Systems Proceedings Article

In: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2021.

Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Asotic, Edis; Trattner, Christoph

“Serving Each User”: Supporting Different Eating Goals Through a Multi-List Recommender Interface Proceedings Article

In: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2021.

Links | BibTeX

2020

Starke, Alain D.; Willemsen, Martijn C.; Snijders, Chris C. P.

With a little help from my peers: depicting social norms in a recommender interface to promote energy conservation Conference

no. March 2020, 2020.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Starke, Alain D.; Willemsen, Martijn C.; Snijders, Chris C. P.

Beyond “one-size-fits-all” platforms: Applying Campbell's paradigm to test personalized energy advice in the Netherlands Journal Article

In: vol. 59, no. January 2020, pp. 1-12, 2020.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

2017

Starke, Alain D.; Willemsen, Martijn C.; Snijders, Chris C. P.

Effective User Interface Designs to Increase Energy-efficient Behavior in a Rasch-based Energy Recommender System Conference

no. August 2017, 2017.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX