A Neuropsychological Perspective on Praise and Rewards in Persuasive Technology

This paper presents the initial insights gained from a literature study,
exploring how perspectives from neuropsychology, may contribute to the
field of persuasive technology. Spring boarding from the work of Oinas-Kukko-
nen & Harjumaa and their definitions of persuasive principles
, the study sug-
gests an area in which the Persuasive Systems Design framework of Oinas-Kuk-
konen & Harjumaa may be extended to facilitate even more affective digital so-
lutions. The study focused distinctly on principles of praise and rewards, however
the insights gained motivates similar explorations of other principles in future
research. Results indicate that there is a common neuro circuit in the brain iden-
tified as the ‘reward circuit’. Activation within the reward circuit varies both ac-
cording to context, and according to the nature of the reward itself. The discus-
sion leads to the understanding that persuasive technology may benefit from these
kinds of neuropsychological insights when designing features such as praise and
rewards. Specifically, by considering different types of rewards and the context
in which they are perceived.