Mental or computer simulation of cause and effect of certain behaviors is a recognized approach to changing one’s attitude or triggering an action. Meanwhile, psychology research results suggest that frequency of simulation may affect the corresponding persuasiveness. This paper argues that with always-on sensing and data-driven visualization technologies, interactive tangible systems can be designed to simulate hypothetical outcomes of real-life behaviors in everyday contexts, which repeatedly stimulate users’ imagination of behavioral consequences and thereby behavioral intentions. To investigate the effect, a working prototype of Incingarette, including a smart ashtray in connection with a digital picture frame, was built. When the ashtray is used for smoking, the digital picture is incrementally covered by virtual dust. Field trials involved participants in five daily smoking sessions. Post-session surveys show increasingly stronger perceived causality between smoking and the simulated outcomes, increasingly more vivid mental imagery of consequences, and increasingly intense intention to reduce smoking. Results suggest that repeatedly presenting simulated outcomes cognitively linked to real-life behaviors can increase behavioral intentions.

中文翻译：

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重复交互对仿真说服力的影响

对某些行为的因果关系进行心理或计算机模拟是改变一个人的态度或触发行动的公认方法。同时，心理学研究结果表明，模拟的频率可能会影响相应的说服力。本文认为，借助始终在线的传感和数据驱动的可视化技术，可以设计交互式有形系统来模拟日常生活中真实行为的假设结果，从而反复激发用户对行为后果的想象，从而激发行为意图。为了研究效果，制作了 Incingarette 的工作原型，包括一个与数码相框相连的智能烟灰缸。当烟灰缸用于吸烟时，数字图像逐渐被虚拟灰尘覆盖。现场试验涉及参与者每天进行五次吸烟。会后调查显示，吸烟与模拟结果之间的因果关系越来越强烈，后果的心理意象越来越生动，减少吸烟的意愿越来越强烈。结果表明，反复呈现与现实生活行为认知相关的模拟结果可以增加行为意图。