MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPLICIT SELF-REGULATION

Abstract

During our lives, we are constantly affected by situational cues that trigger habits and impulsive reactions, even without our conscious awareness. Although these cues often help us during the self-regulation process, in many cases they undermine our efforts to regulate our behavior and emotions, which can negatively affect our health, well-being, and performance in daily tasks. In order to help users improve their behavior or regulate their emotions, several self-regulation technologies have been proposed. However, existing technologies often require constant engagement and effort from users, which add significant barriers to their usage. In this dissertation, I present a new approach for designing self-regulation technologies by focusing on how people automatically and mindlessly react to situational cues. I also describe the design and evaluation of mobile technologies developed using this approach, including a watch-like device that can decrease user’s anxiety; a voice modulation intervention that can reduce anxiety during interpersonal conflicts; and a smartwatch application that can decrease user’s arousal and improve their cognitive performance.