The adoption of current contact tracing apps (aka, exposure notification apps) aimed to combat COVID-19 has been low and slow. The research investigates the potential effectiveness of leveraging persuasive strategies to motivate users to carry out specific behaviors or actions that are vital to curbing the spread of the coronavirus, e.g., downloading, installing and using the app, self-isolation if users receive an exposure alert, report of COVID-19 diagnosis if users test positive. Using the Government of Canada’s exposure notification app (“COVID Alert”) as a case study, we identify the persuasive design limitations and propose design guidelines for incorporating persuasive strategies drawn from the Persuasive System Design Model. In addition, the research examines the key factors that drive the acceptance of exposure notification apps. We hope that the research findings may lead to a better design of contact tracing apps to increase adoption, and make them more effective in eliciting the target behaviors.
Project members:
Kiemute Oyibo, PostDoctoral
Last updated: April 01, 2021