Persuasive Technology

behavior. For each type of simulation, I’ll present examples, highlight key ad-

vantages, and offer relevant principles for designing and understanding com-

puter simulation.

Persuading through Computer Simulation

From the standpoint of persuasion, the technological elements of a simulation

are less important than what the user actually experiences. Drawing on how

people experience computer simulations, I propose three categories of simula

-

tion that are relevant to persuasive technologies:

5

■

Simulated cause-and-effect scenarios

■

Simulated environments

■

Simulated objects

Within each of these categories, theories from social science—especially

psychology—offer ...