Nudge & influence through mobile devices

ABSTRACT

The aim of this workshop is to provide a focal point for research and technology dedicated to persuasion and influence on mobile platforms. We aspire to establish a scientific network and community dedicated to emerging technologies for persuasion using mobile devices. This workshop would be a unique opportunity for interaction designers and researchers in this area to share their latest research and technologies on 'nudge' methods with the scientific communities. Patterns of consumption such as drinking and smoking are shaped by the taken-for-granted practices of everyday life. However, these practices are not fixed and 'immensely malleable'. Consequently, it is important to understand how the habits of everyday life change and evolve. Our decisions are inevitably influenced by how the choices are presented. Therefore, it is legitimate to deliberately 'nudge' people's behaviour in order to improve their lives. Mobile devices can play a significant role in shaping normal practices in three distinct ways: (1) they facilitate the capture of information at the right time and place; (2) they provide non-invasive and cost effective methods for communicating personalised data that compare individual performance with relevant social group performance; and (3) social network sites running on the device facilitate communication of personalised data that relate to the participant's self-defined community. Among the issues the workshop will take on are:(a) What opportunities do mobile interventions provide? (b) How far the intervention should go? (c) Is persuasion ethical? and (d) How can we extend the scale of intervention in a society using mobile devices? Participants will contribute to the workshop with examples of nudge and persuasive technologies, and we will work together to create novel ideas, interactive applications on the phone, and discuss future opportunities.

References

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Index Terms

• Applied computing

  • Life and medical sciences

    • Consumer health

    • Health informatics