As work-related stress is becoming an increasing challenge to employees worldwide, there’s a growing interest in finding technological solutions that can help manage it. One solution is persuasive technology, designed to influence people’s behaviors and attitudes. This master’s thesis explores how it can help manage work-related stress and whether it can be viewed as an extension of an employee’s cognitive system based on the extended mind hypothesis, which argues that cognitive processes are not bounded by the brain and skull but can extend into the external environment and integrate with technology to create an extended cognitive system. A scoping review was conducted to identify relevant persuasive technologies, which were first analyzed through the lens of the persuasive system design framework to identify the persuasive strategies employed. Following this, they were further evaluated based on extended cognition criteria, such as reliability, accessibility, and trust, while also considering ethical concerns related to autonomy and agency. The findings showed that although social support strategies, centered on social interaction and community, were underused, persuasive technologies generally have a positive effect on employee behavior and stress reduction. Moreover, the analysis showed that for persuasive technologies to effectively manage work-related stress, their design should take into account user needs, the context of implementation, and the creation of extended cognitive systems.
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