Comments on: Shaping behaviour: Part 2

By: Egbert Bouwhuis

Egbert Bouwhuis — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:21:49 +0000

We found a nice example of a display for energy use and production on the installation at the user-side of the grid, it shows both actual supply and demand, as well as cumulative positions since startup. It lacks a balancesheet over time, so only the actual balance is visible. It would be an idea to have a display on the progressive balance over time, a sort of stock-exchange-like graph.
Have a look at http://www.naturalwatt.com

By: Making energy use visible at fulminate // Architectures of Control

Making energy use visible at fulminate // Architectures of Control — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:55:04 +0000

[...] We’ve looked recently at water taps with meters built in, the thinking being the ’speedometer’ approach to shaping users’ behaviour – making users aware of the scale/rate/level of some activity should cause them to adjust that behaviour. [...]

By: Changing behaviour: water meter taps at fulminate // Architectures of Control

Changing behaviour: water meter taps at fulminate // Architectures of Control — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:32:33 +0000

[...] Three student projects on show at Made in Brunel earlier this month took the idea of moving the function of a water meter to the tap (faucet) itself, to act as a ‘speedometer‘ and thus encourage users to reduce their water usage (or wastage). The three projects, while similar, have slightly different emphases: [...]

By: More educational architectures of control: museums at fulminate // Architectures of Control

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 23:21:02 +0000

[...] As we’ve noted before, much of education is about changing behaviour, even if we define the behaviour we want to change as “being ignorant”. Control is one way of attempting to force a change in behaviour, manipulative persuasion is another (thanks Toby) but allowing people to learn because something interests them cuts out the necessity to use force or deceit. If you can make something interesting, you overcome the resistance. [...]

By: Toby

Toby — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:46:14 +0000

Re: your closing question.

We need to recognize that it’s all control, whether aversive or nonaversive methods are used, whether it’s coercion or persuasion. This point is crucial because it’s impossible for the controlee to apply countercontrol unless he or she recognizes that his or her behaviour is being controlled.

The distinction you propose is dangerous because it suggests that incentive/persuasion/reinforcement methods of behaviour change AREN’T forms of control. If people believe that, it strengthens greatly the positions of entities who are in a position to control behaviour via those methods.

I think you would get a lot out of Skinner’s “Beyond Freedom and Dignity,” if you haven’t read it yet.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:22:35 +0000

Thanks for the comments.

Crosbie: probably your tappets needed adjusting! Seriously, though, that’s an interesting idea with the clink-clink or some similar system to demonstrate very clearly the amount of money being spent, and as you say it would make passengers think too. A kind of taximeter for private cars.

Someone else also mentioned a fuel economy meter in a BMW to me; how many other manufacturers used to fit them as standard? Can it be that it was only BMW and Reliant?

By: Mr. Person

Mr. Person — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:00:47 +0000

Very nice site, Dan! Found you through Mind Hacks. I’ve linked.

By: Crosbie Fitch

Crosbie Fitch — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:18:30 +0000

Once upon a time I had a BMW 528i. It had an MPG meter. I had a perverse/vicarious pleasure/dismay each time I hit kick-down and heard the clink-clink of pound coins dripping into the engine simply to hit 80mph slightly sooner than later.

Fuel economy would probably be greatly improved if there was a UI that could simulate the consumptive clink of a particular denomination of coin (at the users’ choice).

If anything the passengers would also appreciate the generous expenditure of the driver.