| Popis: |
Automation from smart technology inherently removes a certain amount of control from the user. If loss of control is perceived as a loss of freedom, this may lead to the user to experience psychological reactance when using these products. We will conduct an experiment to assess how two features of a message notification from smart home energy management systems may induce reactance in users. First is the strength of language used in the notification, second is the type of behavior push the message notification is alluding to – that is whether it is congruent with the participants preferences or not. In the context of a hypothetical smart thermostat, the participant responds to a vignette. The phrasing of the vignette is altered depending on the assigned strength of language and congruence with participant preferences. Reactance is measured after exposure to the vignette using the Dillard and Shen scale for reactance measurement. We hypothesize that (1) stronger, more authoritative language will result in greater reactance, (2) participants will experience more reactance when a temperature outside their preference is suggested, and (3) we expect a significant interaction between the language and temperature. This study has implications for the design of home energy management systems that aim to shift consumer behavior to provide societal benefits that may or may not exceed their predetermined preferences. |
