Promoting pro-environmental behaviour through augmented reality and persuasive informational power: a pilot study

This pilot study examined the idea that use of a mobile technology can have positive consequences for both individual users and, indirectly, for society. The augmented reality (AR) application used is defined as persuasive technology, because it is intended to modify users’ attitude or behaviour.The application was designed for personal use although it can generate indirect benefits for users’ communities as well as for users themselves. The application was tested in a small sample, in a controlled setting in order to observe how it was used and evaluate its efficacy as a source of information and tool for persuasion. The results showed that opinions of the AR device were generally positive, moreover participants admitted that it improved their awareness of environmental issue.Strenghts of this research are: show how use of persuasive technologies can have collective benefits and demonstrate their informational power