Persuasive technology based on bodily comfort experiences: the effect of color temperature of room lighting on user motivation to change room temperature

In this paper we propose a new perspective on persuasive technology: Comfort-Experience-Based Persuasive Technology. We argue that comfort experiences have a dominant influence on people’s (energy consumption) behavior. In the current research, we argue that room lighting can influence heating-related comfort experiences (by emitting a ‘warm’ versus ‘cold’ lighting color temperature). Two studies were conducted to investigate the effect of lighting color temperature on participants’ perceptions of room lighting temperature and their estimations of room temperature, their experiences of the comfort related to room lighting temperature and related to room temperature, and also their motivation to change room temperature settings and participants’ temperaturesetting behavior. Results indicated that lighting color temperature can influence a user’s perception of the temperature in the room, and can also motivate the user to change room temperature. This research revealed that using persuasive strategies that targets user comfort experiences could help users decrease their energy consumption.