Let’s keep up with the literature together! In this new series, I explore recent research at the intersection of psychology and technology, with insights for any tech user and additional details for my fellow nerds.
What can the literature tell us about…
Gamification and nudging
Apps use gamification and nudging techniques to increase users’ engagement. Which techniques work well? Does adding more techniques mean more engagement?
Persuasive Systems Design
Let’s take a quick detour into theory. How do designers encourage engagement and change? We’ll look at one technique: Persuasive Systems Design.
App engagement
What is app engagement? How do we measure it? Why does it matter?
The efficacy of mental health apps
Do mental health apps even work? We’ll explore results from three recent meta-analyses to find out.
🔔 Notifications
Do notifications drive screentime? Let’s explore two studies that get at this question and implications for changing smartphone habits.
Single studies can’t tell us about the entire population. The problem of generalizability will always be present, so take these findings with a grain of salt. That said, I do my best to select rigorously-conducted research, meta-analyses, and reviews.