Persuasive Technology: 3. Computers as Persuasive Tools
These are my notes from reading Chapter 3, Computers as Persuasive Tools, in Persuasive Technology by BJ Fogg.
Seven Types of Persuasive Tools
Reduction Technology
"Using computing technology to reduce complex behavior to simple tasks increases the benefit/cost ratio of the behavior and influences users to perform the behavior." This is in fact the raison-d'etre of usability from an e-commerce perspective -- the easier it is to buy at your site, the more users will do so.
A stellar example of reduction technology used for persuasive purposes is the Amazon one-click ordering.
It has been shown time and time again that users will try to minimise the perceived cost the and maximise the perceived gain. Improving the user's cost-benefit analysis, will motivate them to perform the target behavior more often.
A side effect of reduction technologies is to improve the user's belief in their abilities. This boost to their self esteem helps them develop a more positive attitude toward the target behavior, motivating them to engage in it more often and to try harder to get better at it. This is particularly pronounced in disabled users, for whom assistive technology can make a great difference in terms of quality of life.
A site that uses reduction technology to make users more likely to engage in the behaviour the want to encourage, is capitoladvantage.com. They have a technology called CapWiz that takes the complexity out of sharing the user's view with their elected representatives. It uses the user's zip code to determine the politicians that represent them at all government levels and offers simple online procedures for writing to them. There are even template letters provided by various political organisations, to make it even easier for users to express themselves.
Tunnelling: Guided Persuasion
"Using computing technology to guide users through a process or experience provides opportunities to persuade along the way."
Tunnelling means leading the user "through a predetermined sequence of actions or events." The user becomes a captive audience for the content, possible pathways and the activities that the designer has planned for them. Users give up some self-determination when they enter the tunnel. The trade-off for the user can either be making the process simpler and less painful, or a very compelling end result.
Real life examples include hiring a personal trainer, going on a spiritual retreat or even signing up for drug rehabilitation.
In the world of computers, software installation often uses tunnelling to persuade users. Often the user will get a guided tour, congratulate them on having chosen the software, show happy people using the software or tips on how to use it to get the greatest benefit from it.
Registration on web sites is another form of tunnelling. For instance, while the user registers on eDiets.com, the site gathers their personal data and offers them premium services and products based on their answers.
Ethical Concerns about Tunnelling Persuasion
Because users are a captive audience when they use tunnelling technology, there are ethical concerns associated with it. One example is the personal information that is sometimes required during software registration. An unintended consequence of this tunnelling technology is that users will enter false data.
To avoid the coercive aspect that tunnelling technology can take on, it should be clear to users how they can exit the tunnel at any time without damage to their system.
Seven Types of Persuasive Tools
- Reduction
- Tunnelling
- Tailoring
- Suggestion
- Self-monitoring
- Surveillance
- Conditioning
Reduction Technology
"Using computing technology to reduce complex behavior to simple tasks increases the benefit/cost ratio of the behavior and influences users to perform the behavior." This is in fact the raison-d'etre of usability from an e-commerce perspective -- the easier it is to buy at your site, the more users will do so.
A stellar example of reduction technology used for persuasive purposes is the Amazon one-click ordering.
It has been shown time and time again that users will try to minimise the perceived cost the and maximise the perceived gain. Improving the user's cost-benefit analysis, will motivate them to perform the target behavior more often.
A side effect of reduction technologies is to improve the user's belief in their abilities. This boost to their self esteem helps them develop a more positive attitude toward the target behavior, motivating them to engage in it more often and to try harder to get better at it. This is particularly pronounced in disabled users, for whom assistive technology can make a great difference in terms of quality of life.
A site that uses reduction technology to make users more likely to engage in the behaviour the want to encourage, is capitoladvantage.com. They have a technology called CapWiz that takes the complexity out of sharing the user's view with their elected representatives. It uses the user's zip code to determine the politicians that represent them at all government levels and offers simple online procedures for writing to them. There are even template letters provided by various political organisations, to make it even easier for users to express themselves.
Tunnelling: Guided Persuasion
"Using computing technology to guide users through a process or experience provides opportunities to persuade along the way."
Tunnelling means leading the user "through a predetermined sequence of actions or events." The user becomes a captive audience for the content, possible pathways and the activities that the designer has planned for them. Users give up some self-determination when they enter the tunnel. The trade-off for the user can either be making the process simpler and less painful, or a very compelling end result.
Real life examples include hiring a personal trainer, going on a spiritual retreat or even signing up for drug rehabilitation.
In the world of computers, software installation often uses tunnelling to persuade users. Often the user will get a guided tour, congratulate them on having chosen the software, show happy people using the software or tips on how to use it to get the greatest benefit from it.
Registration on web sites is another form of tunnelling. For instance, while the user registers on eDiets.com, the site gathers their personal data and offers them premium services and products based on their answers.
Ethical Concerns about Tunnelling Persuasion
Because users are a captive audience when they use tunnelling technology, there are ethical concerns associated with it. One example is the personal information that is sometimes required during software registration. An unintended consequence of this tunnelling technology is that users will enter false data.
To avoid the coercive aspect that tunnelling technology can take on, it should be clear to users how they can exit the tunnel at any time without damage to their system.