Changing Human Behavior by Adding Some Fun

November 19, 2009 · Filed Under Driver Performance Improvement, Driver Training

Easily understandable feedback can help motivate people to change their behavior. When they can “see” the results of their behavior, and “evaluate” the results of slight changes in their choices, there is the potential to motivate people to make changes in their behavior – based on what they decide to do with that feedback.

Here’s a video of an experiment to motivate people to choose to use the stairs instead of an escalator – by making the stairs interact with each person in an interesting way – providing feedback and letting the people have a little bit of fun.

What’s also interesting to note in this short video is that some people apparently choose to take the stairs only because it is what other people are choosing to do. Some walkers obviously enjoy interaticting with the steps, others just trudge along behind. So you don’t have to change the behavior of everyone in the group that approaches the stairs/escalator at the same time, just a few individuals who will “lead” others to scurry up the stairs vs. take the perfectly functional escalator

Here at FuelClinic we help motorists and fleet owners monitor the fuel efficiency of their driving behavior, and offer simple advice on how to improve their fuel efficiency. In the next generation of FuelClinic we are developing the ability to collect much more detailed information from the vehicle that will allow the user greater insight into their driving behaviors – allowing them to set goal for themselves, and have a little real-time help along the way.