In this paper, we present results from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that examined the impact of persuasive reminders and virtual rehearsal on the effectiveness of a behavior-change support system (BCSS). We developed the Web-based BCSS to support people with mild to moderate depression without face-to-face therapy. We randomized eligible participants into two groups. Both groups rehearsed the target behavior virtually; however, only the first intervention group received email-based reminders. We applied a mixed-methods approach for the analysis. We collected data with semi-structured self-reported questionnaires and post-study interviews. Results indicate that the severity of depression was noticeably decreased and participants' self-confidence to manage depressive thoughts was generally improved. The influence of persuasive reminders on task completion was less than we anticipated, while the participants felt that virtual rehearsal was an effective technique for learning new behaviors. We discuss possible reasons for the results at the end of the paper.
Although information systems and technology have brought many benefits into people's everyday lives, not to mention society as a whole, they are also accompanied by negative consequences. For example, technostress, anxiety, and even different kinds of addictions are among the side effects of information technology use. Clearly, such negative consequences cannot be fully avoided, but at least some of them may be mitigated via good system design. In this study, we addressed the dark side of information technology use in everyday life and in a leisure context, reviewing contributions from the basket of eight information systems journals published between 2004 and early 2018. In our analysis, we utilized the Persuasive Systems Design model in order to recognize and analyze information system characteristics that may mitigate the negative consequences of information technology use.
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