Blueprints: Systematizing Behavior Change Designs

Authors Roelof de Vries, Mailin Lemke, Geke D. S. Ludden
Published in ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction
Publication date 2023
Research groups Human Experience & Media Design
Type Article

Summary

To improve people’s lives, human-computer interaction researchers are increasingly designing technological solutions based on behavior change theory, such as social comparison theory (SCT). However, how researchers operationalize such a theory as a design remains largely unclear. One way to clarify this methodological step is to clearly state which functional elements of a design are aimed at operationalizing a specific behavior change theory construct to evaluate if such aims were successful. In this article, we investigate how the operationalization of functional elements of theories and designs can be more easily conveyed. First, we present a scoping review of the literature to determine the state of operationalizations of SCT as behavior change designs. Second, we introduce a new tool to facilitate the operationalization process. We term the tool blueprints. A blueprint explicates essential functional elements of a behavior change theory by describing it in relation to necessary and sufficient building blocks incorporated in a design. We describe the process of developing a blueprint for SCT. Last, we illustrate how the blueprint can be used during the design refinement and reflection process.

On this publication contributed

  • Roelof de Vries
    • Researcher
    • Research group: Human Experience & Media Design

Language English
Published in ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction
Year and volume 31 1
Key words human-computer interaction, behavior change theory, social comparison theory, intermediate-level knowledge, scoping review, methods, operationalization, behavior change design, multidisciplinary research
Digital Object Identifier 10.1145/3617364

Roelof de Vries

Roelof de Vries

  • Researcher
  • Research group: Human Experience & Media Design