Browse Books

Reviewer: Edgar R. Chavez

Computers-the combination of computing hardware and software technology, universal machines capable of carrying out any computable algorithm-show up everywhere, and most of the time, we are glad to see them at work. After perhaps a brief moment of reflection, most of us accept them without a sigh of regret. Many of us even welcome the ongoing encroachment of computers into every facet of our lives. But, as anyone flooded by email spam knows, the use of computing technology can also be anywhere from annoying to malicious. If there is a way to use technology to make a buck, if there is a way to get you to do something you normally would not be inclined to do, it seems, someone will do it, with little or no regard for the human consequences, leaving ethics and legality to struggle behind. I'm inclined, therefore, to welcome a thorough academic analysis of how computing technology is used to shape and to change what we think and what we do. And, although that is just what this book promises, I was left unfulfilled. Perhaps I really wanted more; perhaps I wanted a clear and compelling call to action, a prescription of how we can tame the beast, before the beast gains such a strong foothold in our social fabric that our loss is permanent and irreversible. If that is what you're looking for, then look elsewhere. But if what you want instead is analysis and dissection, something to serve as a guide to areas where you can direct your attention and study, then this book might meet your expectations. On the plus side, the writing style is clear, and even easy; many recent experiments in social psychology are described; references after every chapter are numerous and current. To his credit, the primary author mentions in his introduction that, when considering technology as a tool of persuasion, the issue is the intention of its design, rather than the outcome of its use. The issue, clearly, is not autonomous technology; the issue is us: what kind of technology do we want, what kind of technology are we willing to pay for, and how are we going to respond to technology we are unwilling to put up with__?__ I'll mention a few quibbles. First, the primary author tends to use the word "computer" in a generic and even anthropomorphic way, to refer to systems built up of several intertwined areas of technology: hardware, software, and networking. Second, the primary author tends to ignore or dismiss unpleasant or controversial areas. For example: "Operant conditioning is fraught with ethical problems and is not, in my view, an appropriate use of technology. As a result, I will not discuss it further here." This seems out of place in a dispassionate assessment of the use and misuse of technology. Third, the primary author displays an unfortunate tendency to coin lousy pseudo-scientific terms. I found, for example, "influtainment," "behavioronics," and, most egregiously, "captology." The latter is a term the primary author is actually very proud of: he introduces it early, and uses it often. This term is supposed to be "an acronym based on the phrase computers as persuasive technology ." This etymological nonsense, which flaunts an appalling disregard for the scholarly craft of coining new scientific terms out of ancient Greek roots, deserves rapid consignment to oblivion. Online Computing Reviews Service

Reviewer: Robert L. Glass

As the applications of computing touch more diverse parts of our lives, the findings of computing research move commensurately more broadly. This book breaks some interesting new ground. The use of computers and information technology as persuasive devices is covered in the book. It plunges deeply into the what, why, and how of computers as instruments of persuasion. ?More and more computing products,? the authors say, ?will be designed for the primary purpose of persuasion.? Those designed primarily for other purposes, the author goes on, ?will increasingly incorporate elements of persuasion.? The primary author, an experimental psychologist, is the number one pioneer in this emerging study area. He is head of the Stanford University Persuasive Technology laboratory, expanding the scope of his Ph.D. thesis on the subject, ?Computers As Persuasive Technologies? (he calls the topic ?captology?). ?Persuasive technology,? as specifically defined by the authors, is ?any interactive computing system designed to change people?s attitudes and behaviors.? They cite two main examples, in what may be the most interesting material in his book. ?Baby Think It Over? is a simulated baby doll that cries and must be tended, and is used to give teens an understanding of how demanding a baby can be. ?Drunk Driving? is an automobile rigged to offer both a ?normal? and a ?drunk driving? mode, so that drivers may experience how erratic their driving will be when they drive drunk. Computers offer unique opportunities and facilities for persuasion. They are interactive, can be persistent, offer anonymity, manage huge volumes of data, have many modalities, scale easily, and can go where human persuaders cannot. Chapters in the book discuss such persuasion-related topics as the computer as a tool, as media, and as social actor, with lots of examples of each. Throughout the book, and in one special chapter devoted to the subject, the book considers the ethics of computers as persuasive devices. There is also material on persuasion in general, reporting findings including the idea that persuasion is more likely if the persuader is perceived to be like the persuadee. For example, submissive people are more likely to be persuaded by other submissive people. The book also examines the future of computers as persuasive devices, asserting that persuasive technologies will become pervasive, and that applications will progress beyond motivating purchases (for example, into healthcare and education). In addition, the authors examine whether specialized kinds of persuasion will increase, or whether there will be an increased focus on influence strategies. Computers as persuasive devices could also lead to a new focus on influence tactics. The book is readable, well organized, and convincing (or perhaps ?persuasive?). If you are open to an experimental psychologist?s view of the future of computing, this book is a must-read. Online Computing Reviews Service