Can computers change what you think and do? Can they motivate you to stop smoking, persuade you to buy insurance, or convince you to join the Army?
“Yes, they can,” says Dr. B.J. Fogg, director of the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University. Fogg has coined the phrase “Captology”(an acronym for computers as persuasive technologies) to capture the domain of research, design, and applications of persuasive computers.In this thought-provoking book, based on nine years of research in captology, Dr. Fogg reveals how Web sites, software applications, and mobile devices can be used to change people’s attitudes and behavior. Technology designers, marketers, researchers, consumersanyone who wants to leverage or simply understand the persuasive power of interactive technologywill appreciate the compelling insights and illuminating examples found inside.
Persuasive technology can be controversialand it should be. Who will wield this power of digital influence? And to what end? Now is the time to survey the issues and explore the principles of persuasive technology, and B.J. Fogg has written this book to be your guide.
* Filled with key term definitions in persuasive computing
*Provides frameworks for understanding this domain
*Describes real examples of persuasive technologies
Customer Reviews
Guide to a Rising Area of Study:
Dr. BJ Fogg has created a new area of study: captology, the study of computers as persuasive technologies. This book is an excellent introduction to this new field: it outlines the different arenas within the field, expands on its implications, and explores the ethical issues related to the topic.
As a student of Persuasive Technology at Stanford, I found this book to be extremely helpful in my understanding of the topic. It’s very easy to read and understand and is not reminiscent of a text book at all. I recommend this book to everyone, whether you are an active researcher in the field or a civilian interested in seeing how technology can and will further change our lives.
Provides an excellent framework:
I’ve been interested in the persuasive aspects of technology and design since I was in 4th grade, and online since 1983. While the title is “persuasive technology”, the discussion is broader than many of us often think about technology. Professor Fogg lays out a clear framework for considering how the products we use influence us, and how to design products which are more persuasive. I’m currently working with a number of organizations improving the process of civic engagement, and find myself frequently referring to concepts from the book. The book has become an indispensable tool. Thank you Professor Fogg.
A helpful guide for Public Health professionals:
Persuasive Technology is a must read for any technology or public health professional attempting to build a framework for using technology to influence behavior change, particularly for someone attempting to build one for the first time.
B.J. Fogg shares his experience in an easy to understand writing style that is both interesting and practical. He demonstrates the potential for using persuasive technologies while also providing a framework that helps bring order to this vast and rapidly changing subject area.
An experienced telecommunications product development professional and MPH candidate, I have recently been researching the options and considerations for applying technology to Public Health; this book provided immediate context and perspective on the environment, undoubtedly saving me much time and effort.
Given my bias as a product development professional, an unexpected but pleasant surprise was the series of principles defined throughout and substantiated by specific research or commercial examples (also summarized in the appendix for easy reference). By synthesizing his conclusions through these principles, Fogg shares his experience in a practical manner that makes it easy to integrate his insights into the development process, to help profile strategies, screen concepts, and stimulate ideas. I expect most of these principles will hold true, regardless how technology and applications evolve.
Hopefully we will see more on the subject from BJ Fogg and his Persuasive Technology lab; more observations on the use of mobile applications would be of particular interest to this reader.
Misleading book:
This seems to be a converted thesis to book, not the worst job but certainly without much effort. I’m not surprised its not in stock.
A landmark book — Let it open your eyes to the future.:
This book changed me. I have started to view my experiences using computers in new ways. I have to admit that Fogg is right: Most computing experiences — especially those online — are designed to influence us in some way. At first this really bothered me. But then I accepted persuasive technology as a growing reality and began to be a smarter user.
While website designers will likely find “Persuasive Technology” most useful, I think this book should be a required text in college courses on literacy, such as freshman English. The book is easy to understand yet insightful. And I say it’s a matter of literacy because understanding how web sites and computers influence is a critical form of literacy today and into the future.
I found the book somewhat lacking in one respect. Fogg devotes only one chapter to the impact of cell phones and mobile devices. I wanted more. This is a small critique. On the whole this book is terrific. It brings together information I’ve never seen elsewhere (and I read a lot). I believe everyone who cares about technology or our emerging society should pay attention to this important work.
