the ascension of commercial

self-tracking toolsfactors that influence and increase

self-tracking technology acceptance

a thesis presented to the SOJC and CHC of the University of Oregonby Rachelle DiGregorio

Let’s get started. Hi everyone, I’m here today to talk to you about the research I did for my undergraduate research project. The project is called: “The ascension of commercial self-tracking tools: Factors that influence and increase self-tracking technology acceptance.”

self-tracking

Self-tracking is an activity in which a person collects and reflects on their personal information, and the practice is increasingly facilitated by digital tools in the commercial market. Self-tracking can be anything from counting the number of steps you take in a day to keeping track of the various locations you visit. Commercial self-tracking tools are usually simple, oriented around a goal, and easy enough for anyone to use. Think of a simple pedometer or the mobile application Foursquare.

The collection of personal information is now a commonplace activity as a result of connected devices and the Internet. Tracking is integrated into so many digital services and devices; it is more or less unavoidable. Self-tracking allows people to take advantage of these new technological capabilities to learn more about themselves and reach their goals.

Interest in self-tracking has boomed in the last few years. The topic has been covered by prestigious news outlets including The New York Times, The Economist,The Guardian, and Forbes. Plus, big brands like Nike, Garmin, and Nokia have all invested in self-tracking technology.

So my big question is: If the activity of self-tracking is going to continue to grow, how will it happen? What leads to the acceptance and use of self-tracking tools?

Before I answer this, I’m going to walk you through how I got to self-tracking tools and why I’m interested in the subject. Then I’ll explain how I went about answering my research question and what I ultimately found.

self-trackingwhat leads to the acceptance of self-tracking tools?

Self-tracking is an activity in which a person collects and reflects on their personal information, and the practice is increasingly facilitated by digital tools in the commercial market. Self-tracking can be anything from counting the number of steps you take in a day to keeping track of the various locations you visit. Commercial self-tracking tools are usually simple, oriented around a goal, and easy enough for anyone to use. Think of a simple pedometer or the mobile application Foursquare.

The collection of personal information is now a commonplace activity as a result of connected devices and the Internet. Tracking is integrated into so many digital services and devices; it is more or less unavoidable. Self-tracking allows people to take advantage of these new technological capabilities to learn more about themselves and reach their goals.

Interest in self-tracking has boomed in the last few years. The topic has been covered by prestigious news outlets including The New York Times, The Economist,The Guardian, and Forbes. Plus, big brands like Nike, Garmin, and Nokia have all invested in self-tracking technology.

So my big question is: If the activity of self-tracking is going to continue to grow, how will it happen? What leads to the acceptance and use of self-tracking tools?

Before I answer this, I’m going to walk you through how I got to self-tracking tools and why I’m interested in the subject. Then I’ll explain how I went about answering my research question and what I ultimately found.

brand story telling + statistical analysis

advertising + math

I started my thesis project by simply trying to connect my two seemingly un-related majors: Advertising and Math

Advertising (as we look at it in the J-school) is a tool for telling brand stories - creating connections that are visual, interactive and emotional

Math, specifically statistical analysis, is a method for finding the meaning in large complex sets of data

These two areas come together in an interesting way with data visualization

telling stories with numbers

Data visualization is, in essence, telling visual stories with numbers. One series of data visualization that really caught my interest is the Feltron Annual Reports. This is an example from the 2009 edition of the report.

These pieces were created by graphic designer Nickolas Felton, who collects information on almost every aspect of his life, from relationships, to activities, to food, drink, mood and location and then visualizes it. What’s unique about this work is that Felton is bringing understanding to himself as the complex data set. He is looking at his identity and life as a set of numbers to be explained.

all about self-knowledge understandingstarted digging in self-tracking, found commercial self-tracking tools, more about action but under same umbrella

Felton used a website/mobile app he developed, called Daytum, to collect all of this information. Daytum opened my eyes to the extensive number of digital tools that have been specifically developed to facilitate self-tracking.

commercial self-tracking tools

So finally, I arrived at commercial self-tracking tools. These are the tools that are goal oriented and easy to use. They are fascinating to me because the are so simple, but the effect they can make on a person’s life is very powerful.

These examples show the variety of tools available for different types of self-tracking.First, we have the Nike+ Fuelband, which was just released in January. It’s a bracelet-like device that tracks steps, calories, and “NikeFuel” - a standardized metric that allows people of different body types and athletic abilities to compare their daily activity. Then, Fitbit, which is very similar to the FuelBand, but tracks a few more things, including sleep patterns. Then, Foursquare, which allows users to keep track of the locations they visit and earn points and badges for their “check-ins.” And finally, we have Mint.com, which tracks, combines, and visualizes financial activity and goals. All of these tools have online and mobile components.

Again, I wanted to find out the factors that influence people to accept these types of tools. Through my primary research and the literature review that supports it, I found that a person’s perceived usefulness of a tool is the most influential element in the self-tracking technology acceptance process.

So how did I get to this insight?

commercial self-tracking tools

acceptance ofself-tracking tools

perceived usefulness

So finally, I arrived at commercial self-tracking tools. These are the tools that are goal oriented and easy to use. They are fascinating to me because the are so simple, but the effect they can make on a person’s life is very powerful.

These examples show the variety of tools available for different types of self-tracking.First, we have the Nike+ Fuelband, which was just released in January. It’s a bracelet-like device that tracks steps, calories, and “NikeFuel” - a standardized metric that allows people of different body types and athletic abilities to compare their daily activity. Then, Fitbit, which is very similar to the FuelBand, but tracks a few more things, including sleep patterns. Then, Foursquare, which allows users to keep track of the locations they visit and earn points and badges for their “check-ins.” And finally, we have Mint.com, which tracks, combines, and visualizes financial activity and goals. All of these tools have online and mobile components.

Again, I wanted to find out the factors that influence people to accept these types of tools. Through my primary research and the literature review that supports it, I found that a person’s perceived usefulness of a tool is the most influential element in the self-tracking technology acceptance process.

So how did I get to this insight?

preparation collection integration reflection action

stage-based model of personal informatics

I started with research in the computer-human interaction field, specifically the work done by Ian Li at Carnegie Mellon University. His model, the stage-based model of personal informatics, maps out the stages of the self-tracking process.

This model provided me with a strong understanding of how self-tracking works, specifically with the commercial tools we just discussed. All of those tools are oriented around a goal, so they focus on the action stage, looking for self-improvement and change.

Based on this, I realized that I needed to research commercial self-tracking tools as their own unique category. This is because they are actually different from thorough self-tracking projects like the Feltron Reports, which emphasize the reflection stage, and present information to improve understanding, not necessarily to take action.

perceivedusefulness

perceivedease of use

expectedenjoyment

attitude towards use

technology acceptance

technology acceptance model

So I looked to the Technology Acceptance Model to understand what leads to the use of commercial self-tracking tools.

This model, developed by Fred Davis in 1986, breaks down the factors that influence the acceptance of a technology. This is a simplified version, but basically, the model says that a person’s perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and expected enjoyment of a technology influence their attitude towards using that technology, which then influences their actual use of the tool.

This model is one of the most referenced theories in information technology acceptance and provided a good basis for my primary research, in which I conducted a survey to measure the perceptions and use of fitness self-tracking tools. I focused on fitness because it is the most widely used category of self-tracking tools.

no, not at all yes, very much so

do fitness tracking tools seem ?usefuleasy to useenjoyable

1 5

survey

The survey’s main question was “do fitness tracking tools seem useful/easy to use/enjoyable?”

Participants selected their answer on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 was no, fitness tracking tools don’t seem useful, easy to use, and enjoyable at all.and 5 is yes, fitness tracking tools seem completely useful, easy to use and enjoyable.I took all of the answers from those people who have used fitness tracking tools before (about half) to see how their perceptions led to their use of fitness tracking technology. This is what I found.

The mean answers for perceived usefulness were very positive, with a strong yes at 4.The mean answers for perceived ease of use and expected enjoyment were considerably lower, edging close to neutral at 3.

I found more insight into why people answered the way they did through open ended questions. From that information, it seems that ease of use was more neutral because many people felt that fitness is a complicated set of information to quantify. Some people also expressed not wanting to bring technology or quantification into their fitness practices because it was their time to relax and get away from technology.Expected enjoyment could be more neutral due to people’s feelings about self-tracking in general. While many people think of it as a useful thing, they don’t necessarily think of it as fun. Some people even expressed that it was a bit of a chore. My favorite quote from the survey was from participant 31, who said “it’s a tool, not an ice cream bar.”

I saw a similar pattern when I asked about self-tracking tools in general (before narrowing down to fitness). Perceptions of ease of use and enjoyment were much lower than usefulness. While the design of the survey ultimately makes it difficult to prove causation between people’s perceptions and their actual use, because of this research’s roots in the Technology Acceptance Model, my findings provide decent evidence that a person’s perception of the usefulness of a tool is the most influential factor on self-tracking technology acceptance.

no, not at all yes, very much so

do fitness tracking tools seem ?usefuleasy to useenjoyable

1 5

survey

3 4

neutral yes

3.993.423.37

The survey’s main question was “do fitness tracking tools seem useful/easy to use/enjoyable?”

Participants selected their answer on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 was no, fitness tracking tools don’t seem useful, easy to use, and enjoyable at all.and 5 is yes, fitness tracking tools seem completely useful, easy to use and enjoyable.I took all of the answers from those people who have used fitness tracking tools before (about half) to see how their perceptions led to their use of fitness tracking technology. This is what I found.

The mean answers for perceived usefulness were very positive, with a strong yes at 4.The mean answers for perceived ease of use and expected enjoyment were considerably lower, edging close to neutral at 3.

I found more insight into why people answered the way they did through open ended questions. From that information, it seems that ease of use was more neutral because many people felt that fitness is a complicated set of information to quantify. Some people also expressed not wanting to bring technology or quantification into their fitness practices because it was their time to relax and get away from technology.Expected enjoyment could be more neutral due to people’s feelings about self-tracking in general. While many people think of it as a useful thing, they don’t necessarily think of it as fun. Some people even expressed that it was a bit of a chore. My favorite quote from the survey was from participant 31, who said “it’s a tool, not an ice cream bar.”

I saw a similar pattern when I asked about self-tracking tools in general (before narrowing down to fitness). Perceptions of ease of use and enjoyment were much lower than usefulness. While the design of the survey ultimately makes it difficult to prove causation between people’s perceptions and their actual use, because of this research’s roots in the Technology Acceptance Model, my findings provide decent evidence that a person’s perception of the usefulness of a tool is the most influential factor on self-tracking technology acceptance.

implications

emphasis on usefulness

improve perceptions of ease of use and enjoyment

healthcare

So what does this all mean? I found that perceived usefulness has a large influence on a person’s likelihood to accept self-tracking tools. This insight has many implications, especially in the marketing of these products.

First, it could mean that in order to increase the use of a certain self-tracking tool, the creators should market its usefulness, and tell consumers about how it can improve their lives, because perceptions of usefulness directly lead to use. It could also mean that perceptions in the areas of ease of use and enjoyment can be improved. Marketers of self-tracking tools could focus on improving these perceptions in hopes that they could become more influential in the acceptance process.

In the big scheme of things, self-tracking is a technology trend that is taking hold in the consumer market. Leaders of self-tracking innovation frame the practice as a new context for knowledge-making. It is more than just a few people's hobby, it is a lens through which we can see and create the world around us. An understanding of self-tracking and the tools that facilitate it are vital to our assessment of society's digital evolution.

implications

new context for knowledge-making

So what does this all mean? I found that perceived usefulness has a large influence on a person’s likelihood to accept self-tracking tools. This insight has many implications, especially in the marketing of these products.

First, it could mean that in order to increase the use of a certain self-tracking tool, the creators should market its usefulness, and tell consumers about how it can improve their lives, because perceptions of usefulness directly lead to use. It could also mean that perceptions in the areas of ease of use and enjoyment can be improved. Marketers of self-tracking tools could focus on improving these perceptions in hopes that they could become more influential in the acceptance process.

In the big scheme of things, self-tracking is a technology trend that is taking hold in the consumer market. Leaders of self-tracking innovation frame the practice as a new context for knowledge-making. It is more than just a few people's hobby, it is a lens through which we can see and create the world around us. An understanding of self-tracking and the tools that facilitate it are vital to our assessment of society's digital evolution.

thank you