(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction: Investigating the Role of Goal Value and Mood in Habitual Technology Use

Many of our daily activities are guided by habits and so are users’ interactions with technology. IS research has made significant strides acknowledging this perspective, emphasizing the importance of habits for continued system use. We seek to contribute to this research, taking a closer look at the effects of habits on the quality of IS use. As experience shows, habits may not always be a good thing. Therefore, we study the conditions under which positive effects of habitual behavior on users’ satisfaction can be realized. In a study among 303 smartphone users, we investigate the role of goal value and mood for individuals’ satisfaction. We find that these devices are prone to dissatisfying usage habits which are absent of a particular goal value, especially when individuals are feeling tense. As these habits may be considered questionable, our study has several practical implications, too.