1. the ascension of commercial
self-tracking tools
factors that influence and increase
self-tracking technology acceptance
by Rachelle DiGregorio
a thesis presented to the SOJC and CHC of the University of Oregon
Let’s get started. Hi everyone, I’m here today to talk to you about the research I did for my undergraduate research
project. The project is called: “The ascension of commercial self-tracking tools: Factors that influence and increase
self-tracking technology acceptance.”
2. self-tracking
Self-tracking is an activity in which a person collects and reflects on their personal information, and the practice is
increasingly facilitated by digital tools in the commercial market. Self-tracking can be anything from counting the
number of steps you take in a day to keeping track of the various locations you visit. Commercial self-tracking
tools are usually simple, oriented around a goal, and easy enough for anyone to use. Think of a simple pedometer
or the mobile application Foursquare.
The collection of personal information is now a commonplace activity as a result of connected devices and the
Internet. Tracking is integrated into so many digital services and devices; it is more or less unavoidable. Self-
tracking allows people to take advantage of these new technological capabilities to learn more about themselves
and reach their goals.
Interest in self-tracking has boomed in the last few years. The topic has been covered by prestigious news outlets
including The New York Times, The Economist,The Guardian, and Forbes. Plus, big brands like Nike, Garmin, and
Nokia have all invested in self-tracking technology.
So my big question is: If the activity of self-tracking is going to continue to grow, how will it happen? What leads to
the acceptance and use of self-tracking tools?
Before I answer this, I’m going to walk you through how I got to self-tracking tools and why I’m interested in the
subject. Then I’ll explain how I went about answering my research question and what I ultimately found.
3. self-tracking
what leads to the acceptance of self-tracking tools?
Self-tracking is an activity in which a person collects and reflects on their personal information, and the practice is
increasingly facilitated by digital tools in the commercial market. Self-tracking can be anything from counting the
number of steps you take in a day to keeping track of the various locations you visit. Commercial self-tracking
tools are usually simple, oriented around a goal, and easy enough for anyone to use. Think of a simple pedometer
or the mobile application Foursquare.
The collection of personal information is now a commonplace activity as a result of connected devices and the
Internet. Tracking is integrated into so many digital services and devices; it is more or less unavoidable. Self-
tracking allows people to take advantage of these new technological capabilities to learn more about themselves
and reach their goals.
Interest in self-tracking has boomed in the last few years. The topic has been covered by prestigious news outlets
including The New York Times, The Economist,The Guardian, and Forbes. Plus, big brands like Nike, Garmin, and
Nokia have all invested in self-tracking technology.
So my big question is: If the activity of self-tracking is going to continue to grow, how will it happen? What leads to
the acceptance and use of self-tracking tools?
Before I answer this, I’m going to walk you through how I got to self-tracking tools and why I’m interested in the
subject. Then I’ll explain how I went about answering my research question and what I ultimately found.
4. advertising + math
brand story telling + statistical analysis
I started my thesis project by simply trying to connect my two seemingly un-related majors: Advertising and Math
Advertising (as we look at it in the J-school) is a tool for telling brand stories - creating connections that are visual,
interactive and emotional
Math, specifically statistical analysis, is a method for finding the meaning in large complex sets of data
These two areas come together in an interesting way with data visualization
5. telling stories with numbers
Data visualization is, in essence, telling visual stories with numbers. One series of data visualization that really
caught my interest is the Feltron Annual Reports. This is an example from the 2009 edition of the report.
These pieces were created by graphic designer Nickolas Felton, who collects information on almost every aspect of
his life, from relationships, to activities, to food, drink, mood and location and then visualizes it. What’s unique
about this work is that Felton is bringing understanding to himself as the complex data set. He is looking at his
identity and life as a set of numbers to be explained.
all about self-knowledge understanding
started digging in self-tracking, found commercial self-tracking tools, more about action but under same
umbrella
Felton used a website/mobile app he developed, called Daytum, to collect all of this information. Daytum opened
my eyes to the extensive number of digital tools that have been specifically developed to facilitate self-tracking.
6. commercial self-tracking tools
So finally, I arrived at commercial self-tracking tools. These are the tools that are goal oriented and easy to use.
They are fascinating to me because the are so simple, but the effect they can make on a person’s life is very
powerful.
These examples show the variety of tools available for different types of self-tracking.
First, we have the Nike+ Fuelband, which was just released in January. It’s a bracelet-like device that tracks steps,
calories, and “NikeFuel” - a standardized metric that allows people of different body types and athletic abilities to
compare their daily activity. Then, Fitbit, which is very similar to the FuelBand, but tracks a few more things,
including sleep patterns. Then, Foursquare, which allows users to keep track of the locations they visit and earn
points and badges for their “check-ins.” And finally, we have Mint.com, which tracks, combines, and visualizes
financial activity and goals. All of these tools have online and mobile components.
Again, I wanted to find out the factors that influence people to accept these types of tools. Through my primary
research and the literature review that supports it, I found that a person’s perceived usefulness of a tool is the
most influential element in the self-tracking technology acceptance process.
So how did I get to this insight?
7. commercial self-tracking tools
acceptance of
perceived usefulness
self-tracking tools
So finally, I arrived at commercial self-tracking tools. These are the tools that are goal oriented and easy to use.
They are fascinating to me because the are so simple, but the effect they can make on a person’s life is very
powerful.
These examples show the variety of tools available for different types of self-tracking.
First, we have the Nike+ Fuelband, which was just released in January. It’s a bracelet-like device that tracks steps,
calories, and “NikeFuel” - a standardized metric that allows people of different body types and athletic abilities to
compare their daily activity. Then, Fitbit, which is very similar to the FuelBand, but tracks a few more things,
including sleep patterns. Then, Foursquare, which allows users to keep track of the locations they visit and earn
points and badges for their “check-ins.” And finally, we have Mint.com, which tracks, combines, and visualizes
financial activity and goals. All of these tools have online and mobile components.
Again, I wanted to find out the factors that influence people to accept these types of tools. Through my primary
research and the literature review that supports it, I found that a person’s perceived usefulness of a tool is the
most influential element in the self-tracking technology acceptance process.
So how did I get to this insight?
8. stage-based model of personal informatics
collection reflection
preparation integration action
I started with research in the computer-human interaction field, specifically the work done by Ian Li at Carnegie
Mellon University. His model, the stage-based model of personal informatics, maps out the stages of the self-
tracking process.
This model provided me with a strong understanding of how self-tracking works, specifically with the commercial
tools we just discussed. All of those tools are oriented around a goal, so they focus on the action stage, looking for
self-improvement and change.
Based on this, I realized that I needed to research commercial self-tracking tools as their own unique category.
This is because they are actually different from thorough self-tracking projects like the Feltron Reports, which
emphasize the reflection stage, and present information to improve understanding, not necessarily to take action.
9. technology acceptance model
perceived perceived expected
usefulness ease of use enjoyment
attitude towards use
technology acceptance
So I looked to the Technology Acceptance Model to understand what leads to the use of commercial self-tracking
tools.
This model, developed by Fred Davis in 1986, breaks down the factors that influence the acceptance of a
technology. This is a simplified version, but basically, the model says that a person’s perceived usefulness,
perceived ease of use, and expected enjoyment of a technology influence their attitude towards using that
technology, which then influences their actual use of the tool.
This model is one of the most referenced theories in information technology acceptance and provided a good
basis for my primary research, in which I conducted a survey to measure the perceptions and use of fitness self-
tracking tools. I focused on fitness because it is the most widely used category of self-tracking tools.
10. survey
useful
do fitness tracking tools seem easy to use ?
enjoyable
1 5
no, not at all yes, very much so
The survey’s main question was “do fitness tracking tools seem useful/easy to use/enjoyable?”
Participants selected their answer on a scale from 1 to 5,
where 1 was no, fitness tracking tools don’t seem useful, easy to use, and enjoyable at all.
and 5 is yes, fitness tracking tools seem completely useful, easy to use and enjoyable.
I took all of the answers from those people who have used fitness tracking tools before (about half) to see how
their perceptions led to their use of fitness tracking technology. This is what I found.
The mean answers for perceived usefulness were very positive, with a strong yes at 4.
The mean answers for perceived ease of use and expected enjoyment were considerably lower, edging close to
neutral at 3.
I found more insight into why people answered the way they did through open ended questions. From that
information, it seems that ease of use was more neutral because many people felt that fitness is a complicated set
of information to quantify. Some people also expressed not wanting to bring technology or quantification into
their fitness practices because it was their time to relax and get away from technology.
Expected enjoyment could be more neutral due to people’s feelings about self-tracking in general. While many
people think of it as a useful thing, they don’t necessarily think of it as fun. Some people even expressed that it
was a bit of a chore. My favorite quote from the survey was from participant 31, who said “it’s a tool, not an ice
cream bar.”
I saw a similar pattern when I asked about self-tracking tools in general (before narrowing down to fitness).
Perceptions of ease of use and enjoyment were much lower than usefulness. While the design of the survey
ultimately makes it difficult to prove causation between people’s perceptions and their actual use, because of this
research’s roots in the Technology Acceptance Model, my findings provide decent evidence that a person’s
perception of the usefulness of a tool is the most influential factor on self-tracking technology acceptance.
11. survey
useful
do fitness tracking tools seem easy to use ?
enjoyable
1 5
no, not at all yes, very much so
3 4
neutral yes
3.37 3.42 3.99
The survey’s main question was “do fitness tracking tools seem useful/easy to use/enjoyable?”
Participants selected their answer on a scale from 1 to 5,
where 1 was no, fitness tracking tools don’t seem useful, easy to use, and enjoyable at all.
and 5 is yes, fitness tracking tools seem completely useful, easy to use and enjoyable.
I took all of the answers from those people who have used fitness tracking tools before (about half) to see how
their perceptions led to their use of fitness tracking technology. This is what I found.
The mean answers for perceived usefulness were very positive, with a strong yes at 4.
The mean answers for perceived ease of use and expected enjoyment were considerably lower, edging close to
neutral at 3.
I found more insight into why people answered the way they did through open ended questions. From that
information, it seems that ease of use was more neutral because many people felt that fitness is a complicated set
of information to quantify. Some people also expressed not wanting to bring technology or quantification into
their fitness practices because it was their time to relax and get away from technology.
Expected enjoyment could be more neutral due to people’s feelings about self-tracking in general. While many
people think of it as a useful thing, they don’t necessarily think of it as fun. Some people even expressed that it
was a bit of a chore. My favorite quote from the survey was from participant 31, who said “it’s a tool, not an ice
cream bar.”
I saw a similar pattern when I asked about self-tracking tools in general (before narrowing down to fitness).
Perceptions of ease of use and enjoyment were much lower than usefulness. While the design of the survey
ultimately makes it difficult to prove causation between people’s perceptions and their actual use, because of this
research’s roots in the Technology Acceptance Model, my findings provide decent evidence that a person’s
perception of the usefulness of a tool is the most influential factor on self-tracking technology acceptance.
12. implications
emphasis on usefulness
improve perceptions of ease of use and enjoyment
healthcare
So what does this all mean? I found that perceived usefulness has a large influence on a person’s likelihood to
accept self-tracking tools. This insight has many implications, especially in the marketing of these products.
First, it could mean that in order to increase the use of a certain self-tracking tool, the creators should market its
usefulness, and tell consumers about how it can improve their lives, because perceptions of usefulness directly
lead to use. It could also mean that perceptions in the areas of ease of use and enjoyment can be improved.
Marketers of self-tracking tools could focus on improving these perceptions in hopes that they could become
more influential in the acceptance process.
In the big scheme of things, self-tracking is a technology trend that is taking hold in the consumer market.
Leaders of self-tracking innovation frame the practice as a new context for knowledge-making. It is more
than just a few people's hobby, it is a lens through which we can see and create the world around us. An
understanding of self-tracking and the tools that facilitate it are vital to our assessment of society's digital
evolution.
13. implications
new context for knowledge-making
So what does this all mean? I found that perceived usefulness has a large influence on a person’s likelihood to
accept self-tracking tools. This insight has many implications, especially in the marketing of these products.
First, it could mean that in order to increase the use of a certain self-tracking tool, the creators should market its
usefulness, and tell consumers about how it can improve their lives, because perceptions of usefulness directly
lead to use. It could also mean that perceptions in the areas of ease of use and enjoyment can be improved.
Marketers of self-tracking tools could focus on improving these perceptions in hopes that they could become
more influential in the acceptance process.
In the big scheme of things, self-tracking is a technology trend that is taking hold in the consumer market.
Leaders of self-tracking innovation frame the practice as a new context for knowledge-making. It is more
than just a few people's hobby, it is a lens through which we can see and create the world around us. An
understanding of self-tracking and the tools that facilitate it are vital to our assessment of society's digital
evolution.
