Behavior Change Technology -- Tech Talk

Hi everyone,

This is Kelsey and I will be covering Behavior Change Technology in my tech talk.

Behavior Change Technology
Behavior Change Technology is an intricate software and application design process that focuses on a very simple idea: help people change their habits. There are several ways that a person's behavior can be changed through habit-changing technology. Physiological addictions, like smoking, can be curbed by apps that reward good behavior. Behaviors learned over time, like time management, can be aided or improved on through repetitive apps and virtual to-do lists. Even biomechanical systems, like twitches or motor-function habits, can be altered with common exposure to certain technological activities.

Behavior Design
A graduate program at Stanford focuses on behavior design--understanding the step-by-step processes that humans follow to make decisions and finding ways to "map" those steps in technological developments. This is an iterative process, in which test subjects follow the instructions and guidance of apps and software and their results are tracked. Adjustments to the programs are made until test subjects respond positively at a frequent enough rate. At the bottom of this post is a link to a video in which a Stanford professor explains how behavior design is also relevant from an business standpoint rather than a consumer standpoint.

Behavior and Reward
These programs are built on the concept of positive reinforcement. Rewards that come from behavior change technology must be intrinsic and create a sense of achievement or invoke an emotion. Simply offering a tangible reward that is the same every time ultimately will cause the user's habits to revert to their original state, as identical rewards lose value over time. One of the biggest questions in terms of future behavior design is how to designate and deliver rewards that are sustainable over the long term.

Resources
Compared to the resources available to students and researchers today, my tech talk barely scratches the surface of behavior change technology and how dynamically the field is growing today. Below are the articles I reference in my presentation, which offer a great starting point to understanding the field.

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/behavioural-insights/true-potential-technology-change-behaviour
http://www.maxogles.com/behavior-change-challenges/
http://captology.stanford.edu/projects/behaviordesign.html
https://www.fastcompany.com/3033986/the-future-of-work/can-technology-really-change-your-habits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlEYLEV0_OA