RE: Theory-Driven Design Strategies for Technologies that Support Behavior Change in Everyday Life

Summary

Consolvo et al, argued in their paper that designing, what they termed as 'persuasive technologies ' that target long-term discretionary use throughout everyday life is challenging, especially when those technologies attempt to help individuals change their everyday behaviours. According to their hypothesis, this task of instigating or motivating behaviour change often remains challenging even when the individual wants to change. In presenting their work, they rely mostly on previous research, which focuses on how human behaviour and social functioning can be shaped and influenced, based on the a better understanding of the psychological principles at play. Their research draws mostly from the Goal-Setting Theory as espoused by Locke et al (2002) and the

Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change as proposed by Prochaska et al (1992). Other important references they drew from were Festinger and Goffman, two foremost researchers in the field of human psychology and how it influences everyday behaviour.

Opinion

Let's talk about this in the realm of HCI technologies. I believe that all successful - or seemingly successful - HCI designs and applications that target behaviour change, and are successful in so doing, are the ones that rely in fundamental principles of human psychology. For example, Festinger posited that technologies that strive to encourage lifestyle behaviour change must support fundamental impression management needs (backstage and front stage theory). An obvious example is facebook , which is alive and well and thriving because it encourages the psychological behaviour of impression management. Same with Twitter - which probably explains why celebrities will readily take to twitter instead of speaking to a reporter. Because they hold the reigns (backstage), they control the information output( front stage). It is human nature and stagemanship at its best. Another twitter analysis is that of followers and leaders - a fundamental behavioural psychology. The mass influx and acceptability of the twitter interface might look like behavioural change in terms of creating a new social normal but it is only a successful design because it taps into well-established human nature of mass followership and the tendency of a few to lead.

Google is also in same category. It plays on the inherent insatiable curiosity of human nature to know, to investigate, to sniff around. I call it a psychological thriller. HCI technologies that have succeeded do not target behavioural change (in they obvious sense) - they target well entrenched behavioural patterns in human nature. New technologies relying on old concepts. It works.

An online dating website is a typical HCI which employs the principles of human psychology into the design of its user interface, and has successfully( seemingly so) changed the behaviour of its users. Gone are the days of romantic affiliations through chance face to face meetings, or introductions through friends. Nowadays it has been reduced to a few mouse clicks on an a HCI application. But it is based on the principles of stagemanship: human natures always tries to show itself from the best side. It also plays to the psychology of possession, taking advantage of a situation. The list of criteria on most dating websites make it easy to narrow down choices. Also, the psychological principles of stage control - back stage, front stage - are at play. People who ordinarily would not talk about dating in real life, brazenly post their stuff online and even women, actively and aggressively search for men. A behaviour that is still frowned up in real life.