Eco-feedback technology provides feedback on individual or group behaviors with a goal of reducing environmental impact. The history of eco-feedback extends back more than 40 years to the origins of environmental psychology. Despite its stated purpose, few HCI eco-feedback studies have attempted to measure behavior change. This leads to two overarching questions: (1) what can HCI learn from environmental psychology and (2) what role should HCI have in designing and evaluating eco-feedback technology? To help answer these questions, this paper conducts a comparative survey of eco-feedback technology, including 89 papers from environmental psychology and 44 papers from the HCI and UbiComp literature.
With the introduction of Google PowerMeter and Microsoft Hohm, eco-feedback technology may well become part of a common technological landscape. Millions of households will be able to view their home resource consumption data on their mobile phones and web browsers. This will provide great opportunities for the behavioral analysis of eco- feedback technology through massive AB testing. This uptake in the commercial sector also raises issues of privacy and trust, since eco-feedback technologies can collect vast amounts of information on personal habits.We have investigated the ways in which HCI and environmental psychology approach eco-feedback technology research.
Our goal was to explore: (1) what HCI can learn from environmental psychology and (2) what the role of the HCI community should be in contributing to eco-feedback research.We believe that eco-feedback technology is a particularly ripe area for HCI and UbiComp research because it often requires sensor building, information visualization, and novel interfaces and interactions. These are key areas of our expertise. HCI also offers a set of methodologies founded on rapid prototyping, user involvement, and iterative design that allows for design feedback early and often.
As a community, however, HCI has yet to define how these methodologies should be used to evaluate the potential strengths of an eco-feedback design with respect to its ability to change behavior. Regardless of this outcome, it is crucial that HCI and UbiComp researchers look to the environmental psychology literature on proenvironmental behaviors and behavior change strategies for techniques and inspiration. We believe eco-feedback technology will soon play a major role in the ways in which we think about and act in the world. The HCI community should ensure that it is integral in helping shape the role of eco-feedback in the future.