Aesthetic design of objects can subtly influence health behaviour intentions

Why It Matters

This research highlights that design is not merely about form and function but can also serve as a powerful tool to influence psychological states and encourage positive health behaviours. Designers can leverage aesthetic elements to create environments or products that subtly guide users towards healthier choices.

Key Finding

While not universally significant, the study found a tendency for a 'positive' design prime (a steady lectern) to encourage more sport-related health behaviour mentions among orthopedic patients, suggesting design can influence health intentions.

Key Findings

• In a clinical setting, orthopedic patients using a 'positive' prime lectern (steady design) mentioned more sport-related health-promoting activities compared to those using a 'negative' prime lectern.
• No significant differences were found in the university setting, suggesting context-dependent effects or the need for more pronounced design interventions.

Research Evidence

Aim: To investigate whether the aesthetic design features of an object can influence users' mental constructs related to health and their intention for health behaviour change.

Method: Experimental design with pre-tests and a controlled experiment.

Procedure: Two lecterns were designed with differing aesthetic features (material, colour, proportion, steadiness) to act as positive and negative design primes. Participants (students and orthopedic patients) performed an unrelated task while using these lecterns. Their responses to a mentioning task about health-promoting activities were analyzed.

Sample Size: 121 participants (83 students, 38 orthopedic patients)

Context: University and clinical rehabilitation settings.

Design Principle

Design elements can act as psychological primes, influencing user cognition and behaviour.

How to Apply

When designing spaces or products for healthcare settings, prioritize aesthetic qualities that convey stability, control, and positivity to potentially support patient recovery and health behaviour change.

Limitations

The effect sizes were small, and significant differences were not consistently found across all settings and measures. The 'unrelated task' might not have been sufficiently engaging to elicit strong priming effects.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: The way something looks and feels can actually change how people think about being healthy and what they intend to do about it.

Why This Matters: It shows that design can be more than just functional; it can actively contribute to user well-being by influencing their psychological state and intentions.

Critical Thinking: To what extent can design alone drive significant health behaviour change, or does it primarily serve to reinforce existing intentions and motivations?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This study by Rehn et al. (2023) demonstrates that the aesthetic design of objects can influence users' intentions for health behaviour change. By designing objects as 'primes,' researchers found that subtle differences in form and material could lead to variations in how participants, particularly orthopedic patients, discussed health-promoting activities, suggesting that design can be a tool to foster positive health-related psychological states.

Project Tips

• When designing for health or well-being, think about how the aesthetic qualities of your design might influence the user's mindset.
• Consider using materials, colours, or forms that evoke feelings of stability, control, or positivity.

How to Use in IA

• Use this research to justify design choices aimed at influencing user behaviour or psychological states, especially in health-related projects.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how design can impact psychological states and behavioural intentions, citing relevant research.
• Justify design decisions not only on functionality but also on their potential psychological or behavioural effects.

Independent Variable: Aesthetic design features of the lectern (positive prime vs. negative prime).

Dependent Variable: Number and proportion of sport-related health-promoting activities mentioned; mental constructs (sense of control, coherence, resiliency, self-efficacy).

Controlled Variables: Unrelated task performed by participants; general setting (university vs. clinical).

Strengths

• Investigates a novel application of design priming in a health context.
• Uses a controlled experimental design with comparison groups.

Critical Questions

• How can these subtle effects be amplified to create more impactful design interventions?
• What are the ethical considerations when designing to influence user behaviour?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the ethical implications of using design to influence health behaviours, or investigate the long-term impact of such design primes on actual health outcomes.

Source

A process to foster pathology-related effects of design primes – how orthopedic patients might benefit from design features that influence health behaviour intention · Frontiers in Psychology · 2023 · 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1211563