Design Imperatives to Enhance Evidence-Based Interventions with Persuasive Technology: A Case Scenario in Preventing Child Maltreatment

ABSTRACT

This article examines how current thinking in persuasive technologies may be applied to evidence-based therapeutic interventions through a planned and multidisciplinary design process. Design steps identified in the human services and the design sciences are merged to generate six design imperatives. The need for human service knowledge to inform design is discussed in each design imperative. A case scenario using Healthy Families America (HFA), a broadly implemented child abuse and neglect prevention program, is presented as illustrative. The final design imperative argues for continuous attention to ethics across all disciplines. The design imperatives provide an initial framework for optimizing the development of persuasive technology applications in the human services.

KEYWORDS:

• Child maltreatment
• human services
• persuasive technology
• technology design

Notes

Note: These persuasive tools are described in Fogg (2003).

Note: The categories of social cues in this table were adapted from Fogg (2003).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Walter LaMendola

Walter LaMendola, PhD, Director, Doctoral Program, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208 (E-mail: [email protected]).

Judy Krysik

Judy Krysik, School of Social Work, Arizona State University