The ubiquitous persuader: mechanisms, applications and ethical dilemmas of ambient persuasion

This workshop will discuss the psychological and interaction mechanisms, potential applications and ethical dilemmas of ubiquitous persuasive technology. That is, persuasive technologies are intentionally designed to change a person's attitude or behavior or both, and aim at persuading human agents to behave in socially-valued ways, by giving information, providing feedback, and taking over actions (e.g., a fuel consumption feedback device in a car). More and more, ubiquitous technology surrounds the users in their everyday life, which allows for persuasive interventions at the right time and in the right place, without the necessity of the (full) attention of the user. This workshop will study ubiquitous persuasive technology and its strong potential to change behavior or attitudes from an interdisciplinary perspective. It will address the need for theoretical foundations (e.g., psychological, interactional), investigate potential applications and consider ethical consequences of ubiquitous persuasive technology.