Persuasive Technology Research Articles

Healthy dietary habits: Persuasive technology model for dietary management

Unhealthy eating habits are a major public health issue, deeply affecting individual well-being. Their consequences go beyond immediate health problems, leading to long-term risks such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Poor dietary choices significantly contribute to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases like cancer, obesity, and diabetes. The widespread use of technology presents a unique opportunity to enhance public health, particularly by encouraging healthier eating behaviors. By integrating behavioral science, innovative technology design, and user-centered strategies, persuasive technologies hold great potential to guide individuals toward adopting and maintaining healthier dietary habits over time. This study aimed to create a persuasive technology to promote healthy dietary habits by leveraging algorithms developed from Kaggle datasets. These algorithms analyzed individual dietary preferences, cultural influences, and lifestyle factors while incorporating mechanisms for providing timely feedback and monitoring user progress. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques for collection of data and analysis. The model was built using Xamarin's mobile authoring tools for the user interface and SQL Server for backend data management, following the Object-Oriented Methodology (OOM). The application achieved a performance matrix with accuracy rate of 91%, precision rate of 93%, and an F1 score rate of 87%.

Insights from the evaluation of a persuasive intervention for absent-minded smartphone use

ABSTRACT Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a growing concern that hurts users' daily lives and activities. Previous studies have emphasised the importance of developing mindfulness and self-efficacy concerning smartphone use rather than solely focussing on reducing usage. However, there has been little research developing and evaluating digital interventions specifically targeting absent-minded smartphone use. There is also little knowledge on how best mindfulness practice using digital technologies can be integrated with persuasive designs which have been widely studied and implemented for behaviour change. In this paper, we developed a live wallpaper application for Android lock and home screens as a mindfulness-based intervention for absent-minded smartphone use. The application was evaluated over two weeks with 121 participants. This was followed by a semi-structured interview with 15 participants. The results of our analysis show that the intervention reduced absent-minded smartphone use overall. While participants found the various features (especially the customisation features) of the intervention to be persuasive, we found no correlation between perceived persuasiveness and behaviour change. This work provides valuable insights for advancing human-computer interaction (HCI) research on PSU. Additionally, the results raise important questions for future research, such as the relationship between perceived persuasiveness and behaviour change. Finally, we contribute to the discussion on the applications of mindfulness in persuasive technology, challenges and future research areas.

Effects of visual-preview and information-sidedness features on website persuasiveness

Enhancing a website's persuasiveness and improving users' satisfaction and intention are critical for companies and website designers. Based on the Fogg Behavior Model (FBM), this study explores the perspective of persuasive technology in the context of a website. We identify and design two types of persuasive features: a visual-preview feature and an information-sidedness feature. We propose that websites with these persuasive features are perceived as more persuasive than their counterparts. We further propose that website persuasiveness is positively related to user satisfaction and behavior intention. Data collected from an experimental study lend support to our hypotheses. Theoretical contribution and managerial implications of this study are discussed.

Combating antimicrobial resistance: A framework for educational tool innovation

Abstract Issue The World Health Organization (WHO) stresses the need for educational and training initiatives to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across human, animal, and agricultural sectors. AMR, a growing public health threat, was responsible for approximately 4.95 million deaths in 2019. Traditional educational frameworks tackling AMR are often applied in isolated sectors, failing to incorporate a holistic or collaborative approach. Description of the Policy The Holistic Engagement and Adaptive Response Theoretical framework (HEARTf) proposes a comprehensive, innovative approach combining behavioral theories, and persuasive technology, including the Theory of Planned Behavior, Persuasive Technology, and Diffusion of Innovation. The framework is designed to integrate stakeholders in developing and accessing educational tools, specifically a game designed to teach students about AMR. HEARTf emphasizes a multidisciplinary methodology, beginning with Phase 1 (exploratory phase) to gather baseline information from potential prescribers in Norway and Zambia. Results Initial application of HEARTf is leading the development of an educational game on AMR. This game uniquely combines behavioral theories and digital design, focusing on high-impact areas of AMR. Preliminary feedback indicates enhanced stakeholder engagement and a heightened willingness to adopt AMR best practices across different sectors. Lessons The HEARTf approach demonstrates the potential for enhancing AMR education through innovative, theory-based game design and development. It advocates for the continued integration of comprehensive educational strategies into global health initiatives to combat AMR effectively. These actions, being tailored to diverse sectors, suggest that similar holistic, theory-driven approaches may be beneficial in other public health crises. Key messages • HEARTf fosters innovative, multidisciplinary AMR education, enhancing stakeholder engagement and adoption of best practices. • Theory-based educational tools in AMR developed using HEARTf can significantly impact global health strategies and should be integrated into broader public health efforts.

Leveraging gamification to enhance persuasive behaviour and streamline online product returns: an approach grounded in multiple case studies

PurposeThe study identifies barriers all stakeholders face in the returns management process. The pressing issue of online product returns significantly erodes the net profit margins, demanding urgent action. Existing returns management systems are often complex, time-consuming and costly, failing to address this issue effectively. In this regard, persuasive technologies like gamification can effectively influence behaviour and enhance motivation towards reducing return by striking a balance between psychological and behavioural factors. Therefore, the study proposes a framework that combines the theory of planned behaviour and Octalysis to identify intentions to reduce product return rates in the e-commerce business.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative exploratory research design using a multiple case study-based approach with in-depth interviews conducted with 96 varied stakeholders was used to provide insights into the behavioural aspects for reducing return rates in e-commerce.FindingsThe results reveal three facets of effective returns management in e-commerce. Customers and delivery partners prioritize return processes, policies and rewards, emphasizing efficiency. Meanwhile, mid- and strategic-level employees are optimistic about return process enhancements. Interdepartmental integration and cross-functional communication are found to be vital, suggesting the need for a gamified framework in returns management.Originality/valueThis research enriches the returns management literature on gamification solutions and responds to the need for theoretical anchoring by applying the theory of planned behaviour at the organizational level to improve efficiency and customer centricity in the return process.

I genuinely recognize you: how technological engagement and privacy increase the online purchase intent of consumers

Purpose The purpose of the study was to explore the purchase intention of online consumers by proposing and validating a model supported by exhaustive reviews from top-rated journals, where digital technology, consumer privacy, consumer engagement and online advertising were the extracted constructs influencing consumer learning on digital platforms and finally evaluating the purchase intention of online consumers. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire representing these constructs was then sent to the 470 respondents on LinkedIn, and then designations like business heads, managers and faculty from educational institutions were selected using a stratified sampling technique and, finally, PLS-SEM robust computation standards aided in research model assessment and validation. Findings Results predicted that the variance explained by individual independent constructs defines consumer privacy as a priority for companies, followed by online advertising, consumer engagement and digital technology while measuring the final purchase intent for online consumption. Also, with dynamism in consumer sentiments and a rapidly changing technological environment, the consumer’s digital behaviour may differ in the coming future in relation to their online purchase intent. Research limitations/implications Current research anticipates that the final online purchase intent of consumers has been vividly covered by our independent constructs, but an unexplained R2 of 31% still promotes prospects related to the existing research. Furthermore, India has a huge rural population that, with a lack of money, has a complex behavioural mindset due to religious issues. Practical implications It is important to note that in a real-time market, a better understanding of the duality of persuasive and smart technology and the evaluation of the performance of social media helps in deciding the final online consumer intent. Originality/value The need for digital transformation has become an essential necessity for companies while managing the expectations and needs of the fastest-growing online consumers.

AR Dancee: An Augmented Reality-Based Mobile Persuasive Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity Through Dancing

The importance of physical activity (PA) for overall health and well-being cannot be overstated, especially in today’s fast-paced and sedentary society. Engaging in enjoyable activities like dancing can significantly enhance PA levels and positively affect one’s mood. Advances in technology have the potential to increase individuals’ engagement in more physical activities. This work explores the effectiveness of augmented reality-driven persuasive intervention in enhancing users’ physical activity and mood. To achieve our goal, we developed AR Dancee, a mobile-driven intervention combining Augmented Reality, Machine Learning, and persuasive technology to encourage adults to increase their PA through dancing, ultimately improving their mood. A 15-day user study with 104 participants showed that the intervention effectively increased PA levels, with equal effectiveness across genders and a stronger impact on younger adults. The results also show that the intervention improved participants’ mood while reducing anxiety levels, demonstrating its potential for stress management. Overall, the contribution of this work to the HCI fields is threefold: (1) the design and development of an AR-driven persuasive mobile app, (2) providing design recommendations, and (3) pinpointing limitations and providing suggestions for future work.

ICare: Insights from the Evaluation of an App for Managing Stress Among Working-Class Indian Women

Persuasive Technologies (PTs) are widely used for managing stress and improving well-being. PTs could contribute to the effort toward equality by making mental healthcare more accessible, even among underserved communities. However, most existing persuasive applications (apps) focus on designing for people in developed countries. Therefore, to address this gap, this paper presents the evaluation of iCare, a mobile health (mHealth) app for managing stress and improving well-being among an underserved population—the working-class Indian women. Specifically, we combined the power of mobile health and PTs to design the iCare app. To evaluate the effectiveness of iCare for stress management, 30 participants were recruited to use the app for two weeks and completed a post-test questionnaire about their experience followed by an optional interview with 22 participants to uncover additional insights. Quantitative questionnaire data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative interview data was analyzed using a thematic analysis. Results showed that the iCare app was perceived as highly motivational, persuasive, and useful. Also, results show that using the iCare app brought significant positive changes by helping participants to better manage their stress and anxiety. We contribute to HCI research and practice by offering guidelines and insights for designing technologies for people from underserved communities.

Understanding the Learnability of a Novel Mobile App for Personalised Food Guidance Leveraging Persuasive Technology and Computer Vision: A Mixed-Methods Study

Understanding the Learnability of a Novel Mobile App for Personalised Food Guidance Leveraging Persuasive Technology and Computer Vision: A Mixed-Methods Study

Toward the design of persuasive systems for a healthy workplace: a real-time posture detection.

Persuasive technologies, in connection with human factor engineering requirements for healthy workplaces, have played a significant role in ensuring a change in human behavior. Healthy workplaces suggest different best practices applicable to body posture, proximity to the computer system, movement, lighting conditions, computer system layout, and other significant psychological and cognitive aspects. Most importantly, body posture suggests how users should sit or stand in workplaces in line with best and healthy practices. In this study, we developed two study phases (pilot and main) using two deep learning models: convolutional neural networks (CNN) and Yolo-V3. To train the two models, we collected posture datasets from creative common license YouTube videos and Kaggle. We classified the dataset into comfortable and uncomfortable postures. Results show that our YOLO-V3 model outperformed CNN model with a mean average precision of 92%. Based on this finding, we recommend that YOLO-V3 model be integrated in the design of persuasive technologies for a healthy workplace. Additionally, we provide future implications for integrating proximity detection taking into consideration the ideal number of centimeters users should maintain in a healthy workplace.

A Two-Stage co-Design Process of Battleship-AST Persuasive Game for Active School Transportation in Northern Sweden

This research delves into the dynamics of active school transport (AST) by utilizing a two-stage co-design process and leveraging persuasive technology within a game for promoting AST called Battleship-AST. The primary aim of this research is to thoroughly investigate the two-stage game co-design process employed in creating a Battleship-AST game. Moreover, our research aims to evaluate participants’ perceptions regarding the motivating and engaging potential of the persuasive technology and gamification features embedded within the final iteration of the game. This evaluation aims to understand how these features influence participants’ motivation to increase their usage of AST through gameplay. In pursuit of these objectives, the research builds upon the existing Battleship-AST prototype and actively engages school children in a collaborative two-stage co-design process. Their valuable insights and preferences were harnessed in refining the game, which was subsequently tested during a tech event in Skellefteå, Sweden. The findings shed light on various aspects of the game’s impact, from its reception to the gamification features integrated within. Notably, the research highlights the positive impact of the co-design process, with increased motivation and engagement observed among the participants. Their involvement in shaping the game’s design resulted in a more engaging and enjoyable experience. The persuasive technology features, encompassing competition, collaboration, auditory cues, a virtual reward system, and an emphasis on similarity, played a pivotal role in sustaining engagement and motivating players. Elements such as rewards, leaderboard progression, and badges proved highly effective in encouraging continued participation and fostering a positive feedback loop. However, the study also identifies areas for potential improvement, including the need to measure real-life progress and refine the game’s levelling system. The research indicates that refining feedback mechanisms and tailoring game content to individual preferences could create an even more engaging experience. Additionally, long-term playtesting is proposed to assess the game’s extended impact. The findings offer promising avenues for enhancing motivation and engagement in AST, which can contribute to the promotion of healthier and more sustainable transportation choices among school children.

Persuasive technologies design for mental and behavioral health platforms: A scoping literature review.

This review investigates persuasive design frameworks within eHealth, concentrating on methodologies, their prevalence in mental and behavioral health applications, and identifying current research gaps. An extensive search was conducted across 8 databases, focusing on English publications with full text available. The search prioritized primary research articles, post-2011 applications, and eHealth platforms emphasizing treatment or support. The inclusion process was iterative, involving multiple authors, and relied on detailed criteria to ensure the relevance and contemporaneity of selected works. The final review set comprised 161 articles, providing an overview of persuasive design frameworks in eHealth. The review highlights the state of the art in the domain, emphasizing the utilization and effectiveness of these frameworks in eHealth platforms. This review details the restricted adoption of persuasive design frameworks within the field of eHealth, particularly in the mental and behavioral sectors. Predominant gaps include the scarcity of comparative evaluations, the underrepresentation of tailored interventions, and the unclear influence of persuasive components on user experience. There is a notable requirement for further scrutiny and refinement of persuasive design frameworks. Addressing these concerns promises a more substantial foundation for persuasive design in eHealth, potentially enhancing user commitment and platform efficiency.

Dynamic Leadership Tools Supporting Psychological Needs Satisfaction in Public Organizations: Experimental Evidence

Public leadership is increasingly conducted through digital information technology, and dynamic leadership tools are offered as alternatives to static tools. As a first test of dynamic leadership tools in public leadership, this study focuses on leadership tools for visionary leadership. The study examines whether the positive effect on employee needs satisfaction of dynamic leadership tools based on persuasive information technology is stronger than for static leadership tools. The study involves a field experiment on leadership training combined with leadership tools and shows that dynamic tools indeed have a stronger impact than static tools on satisfying employee needs for meaning and employee perception of prosocial impact. This research contributes to the understanding of how information technology can be harnessed to support public leadership and highlights the potential benefits of dynamic leadership tools in supporting beneficial employee outcomes.

Examining the Commonalities and Differences Between Gamblification and Gamification: A Theoretical Perspective

Gamification has arguably emerged as the most dominant of persuasive technologies, giving rise to a multidisciplinary field and diverse associated industries. As the field has grown, so too has the need for further resolution, nuance, and conceptual acuity; it is important to be able to distinguish different facets once the use of umbrella terminology becomes insufficient. One notable area of interest is gamblification, the study of which is not yet as well-developed; while gamblification is often conceptualized as an extension of gamification, recent research has found it to be an effective means of engaging users in alternative ways. This article examines points of similarity and difference between gamblification and gamification, with the intention to highlight the scope of gamblification as a means to promote specific user behavior and, furthermore, to provide a clear theoretical basis for the ongoing investigation into this phenomenon. The most significant point of difference is that while successful gamification primarily utilizes intrinsic motivations to effect meaningful change, gamblification does so predominantly through leveraging extrinsic motivations. Consequently, gamification and gamblification are used to achieve different aims and are suited to different contexts. Finally, a future research agenda for developing the study of gamblification is presented.

RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE: ADDRESSING CHALLENGES IN THE ERA OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

The term "digital age" refers to a grouping of various technological innovations such as virtual environments, digital services, intelligent applications, machine learning, knowledge-based systems, etc. that determine the particular features of the modern world, such as globalization, e-communications, information sharing, virtualization, etc. However, uncontrolled access to information and personal data kept in many global network nodes presents a chance for the technologies of the digital age to breach certain fundamental principles of information security and privacy. The rapid progress of technology has prompted both private and governmental organizations to gather personal data from individuals, often inadvertently left behind while browsing the internet. This collected information, obtained without explicit consent, is subsequently utilized to influence the behavior and decisions of citizens through persuasive technology. This practice infringes upon the liberty guaranteed to every Indian citizen by the Constitution.

Reading Habits in the Era of Digitization and Persuasive Technology: Analyzing Contemporary Readers of Different Age-groups from Indian Perspectives

Reading Habits in the Era of Digitization and Persuasive Technology: Analyzing Contemporary Readers of Different Age-groups from Indian Perspectives

The Role of Gamification Research in Human Resource Management: A PRISMA Analysis and Future Research Direction

Gamification, which involves incorporating game-like elements in non-game contexts, has quickly become one of the most popular persuasive technologies. Its goal is to encourage users to change their behavior for the better. However, it still has empirical and theoretical challenges to overcome to show the benefits of its use and solidify the guiding principles for effective gamification designs. The goal of the current study is to synthesize and intellectualize, through a systematic literature review (SLR), the current state of gamification knowledge in human resource management, providing a road map for future research recommendations for both academician and practitioners The review examines the most influential writing on the application of gamification to association settings, portrays the fundamental concepts of gamification, and develops based on an effective writing survey of insightful articles available in the Scopus and Web of Science information bases. The study uses a systematic quantitative approach to review the evidence for the use of gamification in Human Resources management, focusing on the pertinent literature on gamification in organizations. The authors examined 244 papers published between 2013 and 2022 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique. One of the major goals of the study’s findings is to illustrate the value of gamification in the human resources field in relation to the analysis of employee performance, employee engagement, and training and development. These results suggest that there is more opportunity for research into the elements of gamification, which may be relate to knowledge retention, learning outcomes, learning motivation, employee efficacy, and employee productivity.

Experts vs. Peers: The Role of Situational Characteristics in Opinion Seeking on Electronic Networks of Practice

With advances in information and communication technologies (ICT), organizations of various forms now deploy an increasing number of ICT-enabled persuasive systems in several domains. Traditional computer-mediated communication (CMC) theories mainly focus on the effectiveness of media in the synchronous/asynchronous spectrum for effectively matching medium with communication task. The contemporary communication environment is rich with asynchronous channels such as email, Web, and text messaging, which makes it important to go beyond synchronicity and determine the nuances among various asynchronous channels. No rigorous research has compared the effectiveness of these channels in the persuasive systems domain where organizations use technology to persuade users to modify their behavior in a direction that they mutually agree to be desirable. In this paper, we study the effectiveness of CMC and the strategy used to frame the persuasive message. We explore persuasive strategies of praising, reminding, suggesting, and rewarding for health behavior and promotion. We model user experience as a mediator between channel strategy combinations and persuasive effectiveness. Through controlled user studies, we compared sixteen combinations of communication channel and persuasive strategy with or without emoticons. We found that channel/strategy combinations affect persuasive effectiveness (mediated by user experience) in varying degrees. Our findings contribute to the body of CMC and persuasive system knowledge and have practical implications for online advertising, health promotion, and persuasive technology design.

Reducing hot water consumption through real-time feedback and social comparison using persuasive technologies: evidence from a Swiss energy-efficient district

The buildings sector is a substantial contributor to total energy consumption and, according to current forecasts, will remain so in the near future. Technical energy efficiency innovations can reduce energy demand; however, if not accompanied appropriately by building occupants’ behaviour, discrepancies between planned and resulting energy consumption will persist, which is known as the building energy performance gap. To tackle this challenge, interventions such as feedback and social comparison are increasingly applied in combination with persuasive technologies. We report the results from a field experiment conducted in a Swiss energy-efficient district where two consecutive behavioural interventions involving persuasive technologies were tested: (1) real-time hot water consumption feedback while showering and (2) a weekly newsletter with social comparison feedback regarding overall hot water consumption, including hot water saving tips, in addition to real-time feedback. Based on the data from 33 households, we found that, compared with the baseline consumption, hot water consumption was 12.4% lower immediately after the real-time feedback intervention and 16.1% lower after the combined intervention. Hot water consumption increased again after the intervention phase, but it was still 9.7% lower than the baseline consumption 2 months after the combined intervention and 8.6% lower 4.5 months after the combined intervention. While the reductions after the real-time feedback and combined intervention were significant, the reductions 2 and 4.5 months after the combined intervention were not.

Manipulation by design

Human behaviour is affected by architecture, including how online user interfaces are designed. The purpose of this article is to provide insights into the regulation of behaviour modification by the design of choice architecture in light of the European Union data protection law (GDPR) and marketing law (UCPD). It has become popular to use the term ‘dark pattern’ (also ‘deceptive practices’) to describe such practices in online environments. The term provides a framework for identifying and discussing ‘problematic’ design practices, but the definitions and descriptions are not sufficient in themselves to draw the fine line between legitimate (lawful) persuasion and unlawful manipulation, which requires an inquiry into agency, self-determination, regulation and legal interpretation. The main contribution of this article is to place manipulative design, including ‘dark patterns’, within the framework of persuasion (marketing), technology (persuasive technology) and law (privacy and marketing).