Designing for motivation, engagement and wellbeing in digital experience
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Peters, D
Calvo, RA
Ryan, RM
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Research in psychology has shown that both motivation and wellbeing are contingent on the satisfaction of certain psychological needs. Yet, despite a long-standing pursuit in human-computer interaction (HCI) for design strategies that foster sustained engagement, behavior change and wellbeing, the basic psychological needs shown to mediate these outcomes are rarely taken into account. This is possibly due to the lack of a clear model to explain these needs in the context of HCI. Herein we introduce such a model: Motivation, Engagement and Thriving in User Experience (METUX). The model provides a framework grounded in psychological research that can allow HCI researchers and practitioners to form actionable insights with respect to how technology designs support or undermine basic psychological needs, thereby increasing motivation and engagement, and ultimately, improving user wellbeing. We propose that in order to address wellbeing, psychological needs must be considered within five different spheres of analysis including: at the point of technology adoption, during interaction with the interface, as a result of engagement with technology-specific tasks, as part of the technology-supported behavior, and as part of an individual's life overall. These five spheres of experience sit within a sixth, society, which encompasses both direct and collateral effects of technology use as well as non-user experiences. We build this model based on existing evidence for basic psychological need satisfaction, including evidence within the context of the workplace, computer games, and health. We extend and hone these ideas to provide practical advice for designers along with real world examples of how to apply the model to design practice.
Date Issued
2018-05-28
Date Acceptance
2018-05-03
Citation
Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 9 (1), pp.1-15
ISSN
1664-1078
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Start Page
1
End Page
15
Journal / Book Title
Frontiers in Psychology
Volume
9
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2018 Peters, Calvo and Ryan. This is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The use,
distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original
author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication
in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use,
distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The use,
distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original
author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication
in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use,
distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms
Sponsor
Australian Research Council
Identifier
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00797/full
Grant Number
FT140100824
Subjects
Social Sciences
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Psychology
HCI
user experience
wellbeing
self-determination theory
design
motivation
engagement
SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY
NEED SATISFACTION
INITIAL VALIDATION
USER ACCEPTANCE
PERCEIVED LOCUS
TECHNOLOGY
COMPETENCE
AUTONOMY
EXERCISE
RELATEDNESS
HCI
design
engagement
motivation
self-determination theory
user experience
wellbeing
1701 Psychology
1702 Cognitive Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
797
Date Publish Online
2018-05-28