Connecting Brainwaves and Behaviour: Exploring Customers Engagement with Digital Support Tools Effect for Positive Behaviour Change Outcomes

This PhD research is aimed at exploring how customers use and engage with digital supportive tools which provide positive support to aid trial and adoption of desired behaviours; Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) testing or Skin Cancer/Mole checks.

What we aim to do

Study one explores how people use digital supportive tools (e.g. website and mobile applications) to learn about one of the desired behaviours. It also seeks to understand why people prefer some digital supportive tools over others. Study two seeks to define what features of digital supportive tools can most improve customer engagement which, in turn, can also increase the likelihood of trial, adoption and maintenance of desired behaviour change.

This research will involve a mixed methods design. Data will be collected using a combination of methods and triangulated to inform insights. Methods include the new and innovative exploratory method of collecting participant brainwave data via a portable EEG device (Emotiv EPOC+) to match with screen captures of the participants’ customer journey, as well as more traditional methods of interviews, surveys and experimental design. The incorporation of brainwave data and screen capture recordings will give a new level of insight into consumers’ emotional, cognitive and behavioural processes when using digital supportive tools.