In Technology Arena, Commitment and Trust Build to a Relationship Much as With Other People

People come to regard certain items of technology as a friend, with dynamics that are quite similar to the formation of person-to-person friendship.

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Contact: Susan Weinschenk, (800) 236-2599, susan@weinschenk.com

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In Technology Arena, Commitment and Trust Build to a Relationship Much as With Other People, Says Psychologist/Technology Observer Susan Weinschenk

Edgar, WI - "The HP - I can always trust it." "I buy all my books at Amazon!" According to psychologist Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D., who has
studied human responses to technology for 25 years, such comments indicate that someone has formed an emotional bond with a technical
tool, program or Web site. People come to regard certain items of technology as a friend, with dynamics that are quite similar to the
formation of person-to-person friendship.

At first users are neutral, notes Weinschenk, and during the get-acquainted phrase they explore and decide such issues as "Is this useful to me?" "Do I understand it?" and "Does it respond to me
appropriately?"

"It might take days, weeks, months or only minutes for the user to get comfortable with the technology and cross the line to a relationship.
Instead of 'that auction site' it's then 'eBay.' They feel that it's reliable and trustworthy, and as with human friends, they're then willing to overlook minor flaws," says Weinschenk, who heads the Weinschenk Consulting Group(www.weinschenk.com) and was named as one of
the top 100 women in computing by Open Computing Magazine. "After crossing the line, they use the tool or site repeatedly, part with their
personal information, light up when talking about it and recommend it to friends."

What factors help turn a user into a friend? Weinschenk cites satisfaction of user needs, product behavior that fits the user's expectations and responsiveness to the user's actions. Factors that inhibit a relationship include the user feeling a lack of control, the
tool annoying the user or failing to respond appropriately or a site asking for a commitment too early in the user's exploration.

"When technology becomes a trusted friend, it can stay that way for a long, long time," Susan Weinschenk says. "I'm always amazed how long
people can use an outdated product and how hard it can be to get them to switch even if that product isn't well designed. They're familiar with
it and trust it and want to stick with it, as they do with people they have formed a relationship with."

For more information on the psychology of technology, readers can visit
http://www.weinschenk.com.