The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system

Alain Starke

The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system

Alain Starke

Human Technology Interaction

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

298 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In face-to-face interactions, advice acceptance depends on how it is presented, as well as a number of social factors. For example, some persons are inclined to accept advice from an expert if they possess little domain knowledge. In contrast, if such advice is unsolicited, persons might only accept advice from a trusted source, such as a family member. Whether these mechanisms also play a role in the recommender context is unknown, even though advice solicitation may be particularly important in domains where a recommender user seeks behavioral change (e.g. energy conservation, healthy eating). This study examines the role of advice solicitation (i.e. whether one asks for advice or simply receives it) and advice source (i.e. either explained in social terms or not) in our 'Saving Aid' energy recommender system. Through a web-based user study with 252 participants, we find that allowing users to solicit advice themselves increases their perceived level of trust with our energy recommender system, compared to users that are presented unsolicited advice. In turn, we find that trust positively affects user satisfaction levels, as well as the number of chosen energy-saving measures. We discuss how system designers should consider how advice is presented and in which context.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019
Subtitle of host publication	Proceedings of the 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems co-located with 13th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems(RecSys 2019) Copenhagen, Denmark, September 19, 2019
Editors	Peter Brusilovsky, Marco de Gemmis, Alexander Felfernig, Pasquale Lops, John O'Donovan, Giovanni Semeraro, Martijn C. Willemsen
Publisher	CEUR-WS.org
Pages	65-71
Number of pages	7
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2019
Event	6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems, IntRS 2019 - Copenhagen, Denmark Duration: 19 Sept 2019 → …

Publication series

Name	CEUR Workshop Proceedings
Publisher	CEUR-WS.org
Volume	2450
ISSN (Print)	1613-0073

Conference

Conference	6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems, IntRS 2019
Country/Territory	Denmark
City	Copenhagen
Period	19/09/19 → …

Funding

We thank Nena van As, Jochem Bek, and Boy Janissen for their time and effort to conduct this study and discuss its implications. This work is part of the Research Talent program with project number 406-14-088, which is financed by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). It was also made possible by funding from the Niels Stensen Fellowship.

Keywords

Advice Solicitation
Behavioral Change
Energy Conservation
Recommender Systems
User Experience

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

pubished versionFinal published version, 811 KB

Cite this

Starke, A. (2019). The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system. In P. Brusilovsky, M. de Gemmis, A. Felfernig, P. Lops, J. O'Donovan, G. Semeraro, & M. C. Willemsen (Eds.), IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019: Proceedings of the 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems co-located with 13th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems(RecSys 2019) Copenhagen, Denmark, September 19, 2019 (pp. 65-71). (CEUR Workshop Proceedings; Vol. 2450). CEUR-WS.org.

Starke, Alain. / The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system. IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019: Proceedings of the 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems co-located with 13th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems(RecSys 2019) Copenhagen, Denmark, September 19, 2019. editor / Peter Brusilovsky ; Marco de Gemmis ; Alexander Felfernig ; Pasquale Lops ; John O'Donovan ; Giovanni Semeraro ; Martijn C. Willemsen. CEUR-WS.org, 2019. pp. 65-71 (CEUR Workshop Proceedings).

@inproceedings{0b99ed2fdb9546a0bdba4ad285b6f045,

title = "The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system",

abstract = "In face-to-face interactions, advice acceptance depends on how it is presented, as well as a number of social factors. For example, some persons are inclined to accept advice from an expert if they possess little domain knowledge. In contrast, if such advice is unsolicited, persons might only accept advice from a trusted source, such as a family member. Whether these mechanisms also play a role in the recommender context is unknown, even though advice solicitation may be particularly important in domains where a recommender user seeks behavioral change (e.g. energy conservation, healthy eating). This study examines the role of advice solicitation (i.e. whether one asks for advice or simply receives it) and advice source (i.e. either explained in social terms or not) in our 'Saving Aid' energy recommender system. Through a web-based user study with 252 participants, we find that allowing users to solicit advice themselves increases their perceived level of trust with our energy recommender system, compared to users that are presented unsolicited advice. In turn, we find that trust positively affects user satisfaction levels, as well as the number of chosen energy-saving measures. We discuss how system designers should consider how advice is presented and in which context.",

keywords = "Advice Solicitation, Behavioral Change, Energy Conservation, Recommender Systems, User Experience",

author = "Alain Starke",

year = "2019",

month = jan,

day = "1",

language = "English",

series = "CEUR Workshop Proceedings",

publisher = "CEUR-WS.org",

pages = "65--71",

editor = "Peter Brusilovsky and \{de Gemmis\}, Marco and Alexander Felfernig and Lops, \{ Pasquale\} and O'Donovan, \{John \} and Giovanni Semeraro and Willemsen, \{Martijn C.\}",

booktitle = "IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019",

note = "6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems, IntRS 2019 ; Conference date: 19-09-2019",

}

Starke, A 2019, The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system. in P Brusilovsky, M de Gemmis, A Felfernig, P Lops, J O'Donovan, G Semeraro & MC Willemsen (eds), IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019: Proceedings of the 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems co-located with 13th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems(RecSys 2019) Copenhagen, Denmark, September 19, 2019. CEUR Workshop Proceedings, vol. 2450, CEUR-WS.org, pp. 65-71, 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems, IntRS 2019, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19/09/19.

The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system. / Starke, Alain.
IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019: Proceedings of the 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems co-located with 13th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems(RecSys 2019) Copenhagen, Denmark, September 19, 2019. ed. / Peter Brusilovsky; Marco de Gemmis; Alexander Felfernig; Pasquale Lops; John O'Donovan; Giovanni Semeraro; Martijn C. Willemsen. CEUR-WS.org, 2019. p. 65-71 (CEUR Workshop Proceedings; Vol. 2450).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system

AU - Starke, Alain

PY - 2019/1/1

Y1 - 2019/1/1

N2 - In face-to-face interactions, advice acceptance depends on how it is presented, as well as a number of social factors. For example, some persons are inclined to accept advice from an expert if they possess little domain knowledge. In contrast, if such advice is unsolicited, persons might only accept advice from a trusted source, such as a family member. Whether these mechanisms also play a role in the recommender context is unknown, even though advice solicitation may be particularly important in domains where a recommender user seeks behavioral change (e.g. energy conservation, healthy eating). This study examines the role of advice solicitation (i.e. whether one asks for advice or simply receives it) and advice source (i.e. either explained in social terms or not) in our 'Saving Aid' energy recommender system. Through a web-based user study with 252 participants, we find that allowing users to solicit advice themselves increases their perceived level of trust with our energy recommender system, compared to users that are presented unsolicited advice. In turn, we find that trust positively affects user satisfaction levels, as well as the number of chosen energy-saving measures. We discuss how system designers should consider how advice is presented and in which context.

AB - In face-to-face interactions, advice acceptance depends on how it is presented, as well as a number of social factors. For example, some persons are inclined to accept advice from an expert if they possess little domain knowledge. In contrast, if such advice is unsolicited, persons might only accept advice from a trusted source, such as a family member. Whether these mechanisms also play a role in the recommender context is unknown, even though advice solicitation may be particularly important in domains where a recommender user seeks behavioral change (e.g. energy conservation, healthy eating). This study examines the role of advice solicitation (i.e. whether one asks for advice or simply receives it) and advice source (i.e. either explained in social terms or not) in our 'Saving Aid' energy recommender system. Through a web-based user study with 252 participants, we find that allowing users to solicit advice themselves increases their perceived level of trust with our energy recommender system, compared to users that are presented unsolicited advice. In turn, we find that trust positively affects user satisfaction levels, as well as the number of chosen energy-saving measures. We discuss how system designers should consider how advice is presented and in which context.

KW - Advice Solicitation

KW - Behavioral Change

KW - Energy Conservation

KW - Recommender Systems

KW - User Experience

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072878302&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85072878302

T3 - CEUR Workshop Proceedings

SP - 65

EP - 71

BT - IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019

A2 - Brusilovsky, Peter

A2 - de Gemmis, Marco

A2 - Felfernig, Alexander

A2 - Lops, Pasquale

A2 - O'Donovan, John

A2 - Semeraro, Giovanni

A2 - Willemsen, Martijn C.

PB - CEUR-WS.org

T2 - 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems, IntRS 2019

Y2 - 19 September 2019

ER -

Starke A. The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system. In Brusilovsky P, de Gemmis M, Felfernig A, Lops P, O'Donovan J, Semeraro G, Willemsen MC, editors, IntRS 2019 Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems 2019: Proceedings of the 6th Joint Workshop on Interfaces and Human Decision Making for Recommender Systems co-located with 13th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems(RecSys 2019) Copenhagen, Denmark, September 19, 2019. CEUR-WS.org. 2019. p. 65-71. (CEUR Workshop Proceedings).

The effectiveness of advice solicitation and social peers in an energy recommender system

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this