Technology and Hedonism

Abstract

Traditionally, technology has been viewed in the context of manufacturing and the output of products, but now it is also increasingly being viewed in terms of the appeal it has for us, our feelings and emotions toward it. Does the presence of a new gizmo cause a dopamine squirt? This chapter opens with a description of neuroesthetics—our ability to sense, retain, and respond to beauty, pleasure, and reward, a part of our evolutionary development. Moving away from the common notion of neutrality of technology, the chapter seeks to relate technology to hedonism. Raising the question “how emotions color our decision in the use of things” and citing relevant works of Simon, Norman, Kahneman, Zeki and others, it is argued that technology affords us the opportunity to understand the cognitive as well the emotional basis of human behavior. The role of hedonism is further highlighted in the context of the esthetic aspect of design and use of things and how it provides affordances for our wide variety of psychological needs. Covering several relevant concepts such as flow, Norman’s levels of designing, and the dilemma posed by choices, the chapter continues to seek the implications of the social psychology of attributions linking it to the context of use of technology. Finally, an analysis of applications of hedonomics has been presented in relation to e-consumer behavior, online gaming and music services, and support to people with varying abilities. The chapter concludes by inviting the reader to consider creating a balance between their wants and their likes and thereby helping to maintain the ecological balance.

Appendices

Summary

A psychological analysis of behavior focuses on three facets, namely, the cognitive (knowing), affective (feeling), and conative (doing) aspects. Along the same lines, the psychology of technology would be considered lacking without due attention being given to the affective aspects, that is, in terms of feelings and emotions. At the same time, Chap. 1 has pointed out very succinctly that the neutrality hypothesis of technology fails to carry much weight today, since every artifact changes and is changed by the user. In view of the earlier, a dimension that is important is hedonomics, which unlike ergonomics, does not evaluate the user; rather it is about how the user evaluates the artifact. While ergonomics and anthropometrics make the technology safe, functional, and usable, it is the inclusion of hedonomics that provides the individual pleasure and satisfaction. Call it hedonomic design, affective design, engineering esthetics, this is the only way in which twenty-first century technological products can face the bludgeons of competition. The focus of Chap. 6 is on hedonomics and is divided into five sections, the first, introducing hedonomics and explaining its need. The second section discusses the rubrics of affective design and ways of achieving it. Since the basis of hedonomics is emotion, a third section provides an overview of methods used by psychologists for the measurement of emotions. Emotional responses are, however, often guided by our cognitions and this is discussed in the fourth section in terms of cognitive biases affecting emotional responses. The last section provides a brief overview of applied hedonomics, followed by a word of caution and a section on sustainable hedonism.

Suggestions for Further Reading

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow – The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper Perennial.

Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design – Why we love (or hate) everyday things. New York: Basic Books.

Oron-Gilad, T., & Hancock, P. A. (2009). From ergonomics to hedonomics: Trends in human factors and technology. In Y. Amichai-Hamburger (Ed.), Technology and psychological well-being (pp. 131–147). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Turner, P., & Turner, S. (2013). Emotional and aesthetic attachment to digital artifacts. Cognition and Work, 15, 403–414.