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July 30, 2005
Current and Ongoing Projects
BuddyBuzz
Over the course of the lat year the lab has begun to develop an alternate means of reading text on mobile devices based on a system initially developed by the U.S. military. Known as Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (R.S.V.P.), the application cycles single words or small blocks of text on the screen of mobile phones allowing hands-free reading without the need for the user to scroll the text. As readers become more comfortable using the system, they can easily adjust the speed at which the text is presented. Over time, studies have shown that the system allows readers to not only increase the speed at which they read, but also improve reading comprehension and retention. The team has patented the technology, developed content partnerships with Reuters and CNET and is working on securing funding to further develop the application for potential commercial use.
Check out a recent article in the San Jose Mercury News about BuddyBuzz.
Mobile Jokes Project
In our increasingly mirthless world, it's sometimes difficult to know what's funny. Relief is on the way. Our lab is creating a free service that will play jokes for you over the phone - any phone. Waiting in line? Stuck in traffic? Need to appear busy? Just call in, listen and (we hope) laugh. However, the project isn't just fun and games, it's hard research. Once callers listen to a joke, they're asked to rate it. Once we have enough ratings, we'll start to analyze the data to determine which jokes are funniest to people in general, which jokes college students like, what jokes do women prefer, and more. You get the idea.
So what's the point? First, we're exploring how humor can persuade callers and/or reward them for specific kinds of behavior. The second purpose is to create a new system for evaluating content. Our first evaluation system was deployed on the web last year and it's proved extremely useful. As a result, we've decided to extend this evaluation to capture data from mobile phone users.
When our joke engine service is ready, we'll send out the phone number.
We'll have more updates from other team members in our next newsletter!
Posted by Gregory Cuellar at 01:11 PM | Comments (0)
July 29, 2005
What is captology?
The term "captology" is based on the acronym: Computers As Persuasive Technology. Captology is the study of computers as persuasive technology.
So what's persuasive technology?
Persuasive technology describes any interactive computing system designed to change people's attitudes or behaviors. From the speed limit signs that display your speed as you drive past to computer games that help asthmatic children better treat their illness, any time any piece of technology from a mobile phone to a supercomputer influences the decision-making processes of a human it can be considered persuasive technology.
Persuasion is often confused with deception or coercion and while technology and media are often used to these ends, for the purposes of captology persuasion is defined as "an attempt to change attitudes or behaviors or both". True persuasion requires intentionality as it "distinguishes between a planned effect and a side effect of technology". For example, since the invention of video games, children have become more sedentary as they play games sitting in front of a screen, rather than playing actively outdoors. This was not an intended effect, but a side effect of video games. Persuasive technologies are those which are intentionally designed to elicit a planned effect that emerges from the use of the technology.
To learn more about science behind persuasive technology, check out BJ Fogg's book, Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do. http://tinyurl.com/b5qw6
Posted by Matt Markovich at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)
Persuasive Technology Event Calendar
AARP Presentation (Washington, D.C.) - Dr. Fogg recently led a series of presentations for the AARP's newly established Office of Social Impact, a working group within the AARP that is evolving to become a core part of the AARP's mission. Focusing on "economic security, health and supportive services, livable communities and global aging," the OSI seeks to engage volunteers and members to "achieve a society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose". Dr. Fogg's presentation outlined the basics of persuasive technology, how to use PT concepts to better design outreach programs and web site functionality to more effectively reach their audience. But it wasn't all work, Dr. Fogg also had a chance to enjoy a Middle Eastern feast with Michael Lee, Director of Client Services with AARP Services Web Strategy. According to Lee's blog, the dinner "got surreal for a moment talking about immersive Internet experiences while a belly dancer performed by our table." Surreal indeed....
DesignIT conference (Tokyo, Japan) - BJ Fogg and Ramit Sethi presented on persuasive technology to a leading group of Japanese and American designers, academics, and business strategists. They discussed the most effective principles of persuasion-which have to take several factors into account, like cultural differences—and how to build technologies that persuade for pro-social uses. For more information on this conference, see http://www.designit.jp/en/.
Posted by Matt Markovich at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2005
Meet our researchers - Greg Cuellar and Eric Grant
We'll feature some of our researchers on the blog every once in a while. Feel free to get in touch with them if you have any specific questions!
Greg CuellarGreg started working in the lab this past summer. A senior in Computer Science, he quickly saw that his passion lay in the interaction design work he was doing. He has since decided to stay on an extra year and work towards a master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction. His work in the lab is primarily in a project that revolves around mobile persuasion -- leveraging the unique qualities of mobile devices to persuade their owners. When presenting his project at a technology conference in the fall, he caught the eye of Larry Page, co-founder of Google. One of Larry's co-workers invited him in for an interview, and Greg has since accepted an offer to work in Google's mobile group.
Eric Grant
http://ldt.stanford.edu/~egrant
Eric spent five years in technology, learning, and management consulting before earning his Masters in Learning, Design, and Technology at Stanford. There, he studied the confluence of education, emerging technologies, and interaction design. His areas of interest include cross-cultural and globalization issues, ubiquitous computing, and information architecture.
Eric's interest in computers as educational tools brought him to the lab, where he collaborates with researchers and educators around the world to author curricula on persuasive technologies. He currently consults for Stanford and a variety of other organizations on intelligent spaces for learning and work, interaction design, and foresight strategy.
Posted by Michael Huang at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2005
More captology examples that'll make you think
Surveillance seems to get be getting more popular, with a system that can monitor a baby's heart rate, take pictures, and even videotape the infant. There's also a device that will disable a car's ignition if you're too drunk to drive. Interestingly, unlike other similar devices that require the user to blow into (for a Breathalyzer analysis), this one detects intoxication through the skin of your hands.
Want to swim faster? Why not use tracking? And why didn't we think of this before?
In an example of what I call voluntary surveillance, Webolodeon is an application that pops up every 5 minutes to ask if you really need to be surfing the Web.
If your work is done, just cancel the dialog box and quit the app; if you’re not finished (and you really need to keep zipping around the Interweb a bit longer), insert a virtual nickel by typing a summary of what you’re working on.
The last example today is of competition, which is a powerful motivating force. A Japanese bank decided to use gaming and competition to distract its ATM customers from waiting for a transaction to complete. Brilliant.
If you have examples, send them our way and we'll post them here!
Posted by Ramit Sethi at 03:25 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2005
Captology slices, dices, and saves lives
Put aside budgeting or improving memory (those are cool uses of captology, too). The New Yorker reports on Mr. Martin, a lifelike, technological mannequin that's helping train the medical students of tomorrow:
Fortunately, Martin is not a real patient but a mannequin, an electronic instructional device known in medicine as a simulator. In many ways, he looks and behaves like a living person: his blue eyes blink, his pupils dilate, his skin is pliant, and his chest expands and contracts as he breathes. If you place a stethoscope over the spot where his heart should be, you can hear authentic beating sounds. His lips, tongue, and windpipe can swell—as a person’s would in the event of a severe allergic reaction—and his teeth can be knocked out.
Does it work? The article reports on research by Dr. Richard Satava, who tested the performance by surgeons who had used a simulator vs. those who had not. In a nicely designed study, he discovered that surgeons who had used the simulator completed procedures 29% faster, less likely to hesitate, make errors, etc (check the article for the details).
So it seems that this type of simulator is perfect! Why wouldn't we use it?
Well, let's just think through one ethical implication: Although technologies are often thought of as neutral, they're not. They come with a bunch of cultural values and assumptions. After all, who designed them? Middle-aged, well-educated white males? How does that influence the simulator itself? This isn't a direct criticism of Martin the Mannequin, but of simulators in general. Let's assume that Martin the Mannequin is a young man from America, which we can infer because he's Caucasian and young-looking. He seems to have some an internal medical condition. Would it be the same as another patient from another country, where the diet/exercise/lifestyle is very different?
Certainly, for most medical conditions, they would manifest similarly across populations. But there are many conditions that are typical only in very specific populations. And if a teaching program were to only use mannequins representing certain populations (which they're not, but play along), would it affect surgeon's conception of disease in various cultural/ethnic groups? You bet.
So how do the simulation designers account for this?
The answer, of course, is that they can't. Once a technology tries to become everything to everyone, it's useless. But as much as possible, simulators should go hand-in-hand with real-life experiences. As they say, you can't learn it all in a book. So while a persuasive technology may do incredible good, it's always--ALWAYS!--necessary to think through the potential downsides, and to educate the users of your design's implications.
Posted by Ramit Sethi at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2005
"Tunneling" Consumers and Venezuelan Radio
I've long held a theory that people buy what they're sold. In other words, when it comes to making certain purchases, people buy from a selection of what they're shown. This may seem pretty obvious, but it always burns me when record companies, car manufacturers, etc. rely on the defense of "it's not what people want" when asked why they don't produce more musically complex albums or environmentally-friendly vehicles or more ergonomically designed widgets--whatever the product may be.
Clearly, the average American consumer isn't going to buy a hybrid if you make it look like a hyperlame geekmobile with the all power of a steam-powered go-kart. My theory is that people simply aren't given compelling choices and so, either out of ignorance (meaning ignorance of their true options, not stupidity) and/or a desire for expediency, they take what they're offered as opposed to demanding something different. It's a kind of passive consumerism. Is it any coincidence consumers happen to buy those products which result in the greatest profits for the producers of those products (SUVs, one-hit-wonder bands, etc.)? No. It's "tunneling" in action. By controlling every option the consumer has, a company can, in certain cases, effectively steer decisions made by consumers.
The real question to me has always been: what would happen if you could change such a market in one stroke? Would the people demand a return to the old? Would they just adapt and deal with it? Would they actually come to prefer the new system imposed on them? Would riots break out to demand Britney Spears get more airplay?
While those leaders in history who have held the power to make such sweeping moves have made some pretty grim decisions (say, Stalin with the extermination of the kulaks, Mao with The Great Leap Forward, etc., etc.), Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has also taken a hard, yet comparatively bloodless line--and helped me out by setting up an interesting experiment.
According to the Washington Post, the Venezuelan National Assembly (which the Post views as a rubber stamp of Chavez's positions), "recently passed a law requiring that no less than 50 percent of all music played on the nation's radio stations be Venezuelan." The law mandates that, "no less than 50 percent of all music played on the nation's radio stations be Venezuelan. Of that, half must be classified as 'traditional,' showcasing the 'the presence of traditional Venezuelan values.'"
In response many Venezuelan artists have begun to cover traditional songs and record sales of Venezuelan music have skyrocketed. Informal polls report that Venezuelans are enjoying the new selections and, indeed, it's become somewhat fashionable to listen to traditional music in recent months. The manager of one of Caracas' largest music stores told the Post, "We've always had traditional Venezuelan records in stock, but before a few months ago we never sold any -- not one. It was all Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and that sort of thing. But now I'd say one-third of our business comes from Venezuelan artists, which is absolutely incredible."
In this case, given variety (50% traditional, 50% standard fare), a significant portion of the population has opted for the alternative. Is it wrong to partially control what kind of music can be played on the radio? U.S. recording companies and their lobbying groups think so and strongly condemn the move. Of course, for Venezuela, it keeps a significant chunk of money in the Venezuelan economy supporting Venezuelan culture and artists that would otherwise be subsidizing Britney's latest bling binge. Maybe it's not so crazy and dictatorial after all....
Posted by Matt Markovich at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)
Direct Action Meets Direct Dial
Recently, the grassroots political organization People for the American Way (PFAW) sent out an email alert to their members as a response to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's threat to use "the nuclear option" to kill the filibuster. The email briefed recipients on the issue and offered them a new, and virtually immediate, tool to act: their cell phones.
Although form faxes and emails have become a standard way to let one's elected representatives know how they feel on particular issues, it's often difficult to act quickly in response to a given development. The time between when an issue requires attention to when an organization can formulate a response, contact their base and actually have those individuals take action can be relatively sluggish—and can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
PFAW encouraged their members to fill out a form contained in the body of an email alert which included a request for the recipient's cell phone number. If the nuclear option was exercised, it would trigger a text message, pre-populated with their senator's phone number, to be sent to their mobile phone allowing recipients to directly contact their senator and immediately light up senate switchboards.
To check out the mailing, visit People for the American Way for more information.
Power to the people...
Posted by Matt Markovich at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2005
How to make your kids brush their teeth for longer
When I was a kid, I hated brushing my teeth. When I got together with other friends, we would tell each other all the tricks we used to avoid brushing (and convincing our parents that we DID brush).
This went on until one of my friends pointed out that "If you're just sitting there with the water on, you might as well brush, right?"
I started brushing after that.
Hasbro has come up with a new way to encourage kids to brush and it's a great example of persuasive technology:
Now, Hasbro has a product it thinks it can take to the bank: a musical toothbrush. When pressed to the teeth, the toothbrush renders a recorded riff from a pop star that lasts two minutes -- precisely the amount of time dentists say children should spend brushing their teeth.
The Wall Street Journal reports more: Got a Song Stuck In Your Head? Try Brushing.
PS--Although this is cool, all of us here are wondering the same thing: Does it really work?
Posted by Ramit Sethi at 09:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 06, 2005
Google and Language Use, Part II
Where I was content to speculate about the role of Google as a barometer and catalyst of language use, linguists at Language Log have been taken to both using and examining Google in the former capacity--as an access point to a wealth of information about how people use language. (See, among many others, "Is 'compound' code for 'cult'?" and "Pass the Hat").
But what about the second part of my speculation?--that Google influences language use both on- and off-line. This is of considerable interest to anyone following persuasive technology: a hugely popular service that rewards both searches and websites being indexed for particular language use is worth a close examination.
So here's a couple of links to commentary around the web on this very issue:
Joel Walsh posts at Search Engine Journal about Google's apparent use of heuristics that pick out "good writing" in determining rankings of search results.
Phil Robinson at Search Engine Watch reports on how Google is considering how language shortcuts and idiosyncrasies in text entered on mobile keyboards are important for search in the future.
Posted by Dean Eckles at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)
Mobile Phones for Children
Recent developments in the area of children and mobile phones.
From Disney Mobile press release:
"The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) and Sprint (NYSE: FON) today announced an agreement through which Disney will create the first national U.S. wireless phone service specifically designed for families. The service, called Disney Mobile, will use the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network and is slated to launch next year. ...
'As one of the most powerful brands in media and entertainment, Disney Mobile will appeal to families and loyal fans who want an immediate way to enrich and personalize their wireless communications experience," said Tim Kelly, president, Sprint Consumer Solutions. "Combining Disney's family-friendly content and applications with the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network will help spur consumer demand for data services within this important segment.'"
Firefly mobile phone for kids announcement:
"Firefly Mobile, Inc., a leading developer and innovator of mobile phones and services that uniquely address the needs of underserved customers, today announced the launch of the Firefly phone, the first and only mobile phone explicitly designed for tweens that satisfies parents' concerns about unrestricted mobile phone use and monthly costs. The Firefly phone is a pioneering voice-only phone designed for the smaller hands of kids aged eight to 12 years old. With just five keys instead of a regular dial pad, parents use a PIN to program up to 22 outgoing numbers into the phone, including speed-dial keys for Mom and Dad. The patented phone lights up like a firefly when in use and intermittently when in standby mode. It is about the size of a small pocket calculator and weighs two ounces. The Firefly phone is currently available through select regional wireless operators, and will be offered nationwide at www.fireflymobile.com in May, 2005. In July 2005, Firefly phones with a Firefly branded, pay-as-you-go/pre-paid calling plan will be available through Target stores nationwide. ..."
Posted by Steve Wilhelm at 09:21 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack