Wired's Feedback Loop

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.wired.com/">Wired Magazine</a> </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">captivates me every month with some of the most random articles about various technologies that I never knew I was so interested in. As I was reading the July 2011 issue, I found myself fascinated with an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/06/ff_feedbackloop/all/1">article about feedback loops</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and how our brains work (by Thomas Goetz) . . . and the coolest part was that it linked itself to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>drivers and Your Speed signs</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><br /><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the portion about drivers, the basic premise is that <b>drivers slow down an average of 10%</b> when they compare their speed to the speed limit. Ten percent may not seem like a lot but in some problem areas that makes the difference between a crash being injury-only or having fatalities. </span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The following diagram </b>was presented in the <a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/06/ff_feedbackloop/all/1">article</a> (which I highly recommend that you read) as a way of positive reinforcement for driving the speed limit. </span></div><div id="feed_how_cont" style="background-image: url(http://www.wired.com/magazine/wp-content/images/19-07/ff_feedbackloop4_f.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; height: 700px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; width: 660px;"><div class="feed_how_elem" id="feed_how_elem_1" style="font-size: 1.2em; left: 170px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: 10px; width: 380px;"><strong style="display: block; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="feed_num" style="color: white; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1</span> Evidence</strong><span class="feed_bit" style="color: #fdf144; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The radar-equipped sign flashes a car�s current speed.</span>First comes the data�quantifying a behavior and presenting that data back to the individual so they know where they stand. After all, you can�t change what you don�t measure.</div><div class="feed_how_elem" id="feed_how_elem_2" style="font-size: 1.2em; left: 460px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: 200px; width: 180px;"><strong style="display: block; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="feed_num" style="color: white; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2</span> Relevance</strong><span class="feed_bit" style="color: #fdf144; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The sign also displays the legal speed limit�most people don�t want to be seen as bad drivers.</span>Data is just digits unless it hits home. Through information design, social context, or some other proxy for meaning, the right incentive will transform rational information into an emotional imperative.</div><div class="feed_how_elem" id="feed_how_elem_3" style="font-size: 1.2em; left: 170px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: 570px; width: 460px;"><strong style="display: block; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="feed_num" style="color: white; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3</span> Consequences</strong><span class="feed_bit" style="color: #fdf144; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">People are reminded of the downside of speeding, including traffic tickets and the risk of accidents.</span>Even compelling information is useless unless it ties into some larger goal or purpose. People must have a sense of what to do with the information and any opportunities they will have to act on it.</div><div class="feed_how_elem" id="feed_how_elem_4" style="font-size: 1.2em; left: 10px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: 200px; width: 250px;"><strong style="display: block; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="feed_num" style="color: white; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">4</span> Action</strong><span class="feed_bit" style="color: #fdf144; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Drivers slow an average of 10 percent�usually for several miles.</span>The individual has to engage with all of the above and act�thus closing the loop and allowing that new action to be measured.</div></div><br /><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It got me thinking about the Your Speed signs in my area and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"> how pure </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>my motivation for seeing my speed match the sign </b>really is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm always relieved when I'm out of the radar's view.<b> </b>I don't feel watched and analyzed anymore. And when I see that the the car behind me is going faster than me, a smile forms on my face. I'm safe. If a police officer were around then he'd pull over the other guy. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm not sure that's exactly the point Mr. Goetz was trying to make, but I think that's my motivation for compliance.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I drive at speeds that are safe and reasonable.</b> M</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ost of the time, I agree with the speed limits that have been set. That said, sometimes I disagree. And what I consider safe is not always what the speed limit setter thinks is safe. </span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>For example, there is a stretch of county road</b> near my house that I drive almost every day with the posted limit as 25 miles per hour. There are only a handful of homes on it and a few businesses, which are all set back at 50+ feet from the road and there are no sidewalks. Visibility is high and very open. As such, I believe the speed limit should be set at 35 mph. Because of a strong inclination to go faster, it takes major concentration on my part to cap my speed at 25 mph. My discomfort increases as tailgaters (<i>everyone</i> in back of me) pile up. And the pressure gets more intense to increase speed. I don't want to be <i>that driver</i> who holds everyone up. </span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, now I'm wondering, just like Your Speed signs help slow down drivers, <b>would they also have the ability to help me feel justified for obeying the limit </b>when seemingly no one else is?</span></div>

Wired's Feedback Loop

Wired Magazine   captivates me every month with some of the most random articles about various technologies that I never knew I was so inter...

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