AI-generated summary
The Internet of Behavior (IoB) represents an advanced evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT), focusing on understanding and influencing human behavior through data analysis. By leveraging vast data generated by IoT devices, IoB applies behavioral psychology and mathematical models to decipher why people act as they do and how their actions can be influenced. This goes beyond simple data collection, transforming persuasion into a scientific process aimed primarily at commercial outcomes, though it also holds potential for social and psychological research. For example, subtle sensory cues like descriptions on menus or scents in supermarkets exploit behavioral triggers to influence decisions such as food purchases.
Unlike traditional social science models, IoB is proactive, seeking to identify and manipulate psychological triggers to induce specific behaviors. However, its implementation faces challenges due to the immense data requirements and complexity involved, often exceeding the capabilities of small and medium enterprises. Currently, only large corporations and data-intensive startups can harness IoB effectively, primarily influencing broad consumer trends rather than individual behaviors. This creates new business opportunities for startups specializing in IoB services, potentially giving rise to an industry focused on the “industrialization of persuasion.”
While IoB raises questions about free will and decision-making, it operates within strict legal frameworks that prevent subliminal manipulation, ensuring transparency in persuasive efforts. The technology nudges users by activating mental “triggers,” yet must remain compliant with advertising laws designed to protect consumer autonomy and prevent covert influence.
A new data-driven digital persuasion tool has been born: do you know what the Internet of Behavior (IoB) is?
A new data-driven digital persuasion tool has been born: do you know what the IoB is?
The Internet of Behavior is the organic evolution of IoT applied to businesses that seek to gain an in-depth understanding of their customers’ behavior and decisions. This tool goes beyond simple knowledge: it turns persuasion into a science.
What is the Internet of Behavior?
The Internet of Behavior (IoB) seeks to take advantage of the vast amount of data from the IoT to design mathematical models from the perspective of human behavior and behavioral psychology. Translated: processing data to know how and why we do what we do and to influence it.
It has long been known that describing food in detail on the restaurant menu increases the ticket and even improves the taste of the food. Also that the font influences
The IoB not only aims to discover these behaviors through data analysis , but to understand them and, finally, exploit them for different purposes. Generally, commercial: a persuasive call to action. Although it is also a powerful tool for social and psychological study.
IoB: A Proactive Tool
One of the fundamental characteristics of the IoB is that, unlike mathematical models of social studies, it not only seeks to be descriptive (understanding behavior) but also has a marked proactive direction (detecting which psychological variables to influence to cause a certain result).
These key actions are called triggers , mental buttons that generate the reaction that is sought. Probably the most widespread use is the diffusion of the smell of freshly baked bread next to the bakery section of supermarkets, which usually increases sales quite a bit.
If you’re wondering why so many of these apps are culinary, it’s because eating is a functional human activity. A basic need with which we have evolved. And so it’s very easy to trigger. Of course, this is not the case with the rest of the decisions.
The challenges of the Internet of Behavior
With the Internet of Behaviour, it will be possible to collect more user data – in Spain and the European Union, always under the legal umbrella of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – with which to better approximate what needs they have and how to satisfy them. However, this extension of the IoT is not as easy to implement as you might think.
Currently, the data collected by the IoT usually classifies people based on categories (age, municipality, level of education, etc.) and creates large databases of users related to these labels called doppelgänger. This doppelgänger, or affinity matching, is what allows Netflix and Google Maps to get it right when they suggest movies and restaurants.
However, the volume of data needed to guide consumers’ actions is enormous. If it was already difficult to use IoT to create
What will the IoB sector be like?
To date, only large companies or ‘data-intensive’ startups will be able to access the Internet of Behavior as content providers, but it is highly unlikely that they will be able to influence the behavior of specific people, due to the enormous complexity of the system. They will be able to create macro trends or rely on previous models to fine-tune.
For digital startups, this can be a great business opportunity, as competing will soon require B2B businesses that provide IoB services. Or, to put it another way, there will be a niche for a new generation of the industrialization of persuasion. Just as there are companies that provide guidance on brand image, there will be companies that provide guidance on triggers.
Will we continue to be masters of our actions?
All advertising, commercial or not, is aimed at influencing decisions, something that is particularly regulated to protect consumers and users (Law 29/2009) for more than obvious reasons. That said, all design is persuasive by definition. A park with benches invites you to sit, while one without them invites you to walk: there are no neutral parks.
How does that affect the freedom to decide? Libet’s experiment showed that being aware of the decision made (a purchase, for example) only happened after it had been made. Half a second before we are aware that we are going to buy something, our brain has already made the decision to buy it.
The philosopher of science Daniel Dennett, who has dedicated part of his professional career to studying intentionality, explains it with his phrase: “if your brain were a smartphone, consciousness would be the screen”.
The IoB acts by tapping on that screen, but firing those triggers, but it is not exempt from complying with advertising regulations, which are very strict and prohibit manipulation at a subliminal level (without the user perceiving that they are being oriented towards something; an ad should be understood for what it is), so the subtlety of IoB algorithms will have to be conspicuous by its absence.
