Persuasive technologies are commonly engineered to change behavior and attitudes of users through persuasion and social influence without using coercion and deception. While earlier research has been extensively focused on exploring the concept of persuasion, the present theory-refining study aims to explain the role of social influence and its distinctive characteristics in the field of persuasive technology. Based on a list of notable differences, this study outlines how both persuasion and social influence can be best supported through computing systems and introduces a notion of computer-moderated influence, thus extending the influence typology. The novel type of influence tends to be more salient for socially influencing systems, which informs designers to be mindful when engineering such technologies. The study provides sharper conceptual representation of key terms in persuasive engineering, drafts a structured approach for better understanding of the influence typology, and presents how computers can be moderators of social influence.

1. TYPOLOGY
OF
COMPUTER-SUPPORTED
INFLUENCE
@ags%

2. PERSUASION
SOCIAL
INFLUENCE

3. @ags%
PERSUASION
an
ac%on
of
causing
someone
to
do
something
through
reasoning
or
argument

4. @ags%
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
a
capacity
to
have
an
effect
on
the
behavior
of
someone
in
a
social
context

5. PERSUASION
SOCIAL
INFLUENCE
Cialdini
(2009)
Liking,
scarcity,
authority,
consistency,
reciprocity
Social
proof
Guadagno
et
al.
(2014)
External
pressure
O’Keefe
(1990)
Reasoning
and
argument
Ac%ons
of
surrounding
people
PePy
and
Cacioppo
(1986)
Central
and
peripheral
cues
RashoPe
(2007)
Wri@en
or
spoken
messages
Interac%on
with
others
Wood
(2000)
Detailed
argumenta%on
Enabled
by
complex
social
seEngs

6. PERSUASION
SOCIAL
INFLUENCE
Origin
Inten%on
or
agenda
Presence
of
other
people
Driver
Reasoning
or
argument
Behavior
of
surrounding
people
Impact
Controlled
and
guided
Unpredictable
and
ambient
Direc%on
Push
Pull

7. COMPUTER – MEDIATED (CME)!
FACE–TO–FACE (FTF)!
COMPUTER – HUMAN (CHU)!
COMPUTER – MODERATED (CMO)!
INTERPERSONAL!
INFLUENCE!
User!
behavior!
User!
content!
Dynamic!
design!
Dynamic!
content!
Persuasive!
design!

8. Interpersonal
Face-­‐to-­‐face
(FTF)
Computer-­‐
mediated
(CME)
Computer-­‐
moderated
(CMO)
Computer-­‐
Human
(CHU)
Human
User
User
behavior
Designer
People
can
influence
each
other
in
the
physical
world
Users
can
influence
each
other
through
computers
Computers
can
amplify,
decrease,
or
reverse
influence
based
on
the
presence
(or
absence)
of
other
users
and
their
behavior
Computers
can
influence
users
when
designed
to
do
so

9. Content
Design
Fixed
(FC)
Preset
by
developers
and
owners
Supports
CHU
influence
(FD)
Preset
by
designers
Supports
CHU
influence
Dynamic
(DC)
Generated
by
users
Supports
interpersonal
CME
influence
(DD)
Evolving
through
user
behavior
Supports
interpersonal
CMO
influence

10. @ags%
Jogging:
374
Jogging:
12
Jogging:
0

11. Jogging:
82
Jogging:
20

12. COMPUTER-
SUPPORTED
INFLUENCE@ags%
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