Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Overcoming Bounded Scalability: Achieving Interoperability Through Behavioral Boundary Objects

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Creativity, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Communication of Design (AHFE 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 276))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 2827 Accesses

Abstract

Behavioral design’s preference for bespoke, contextualized solutions to behavioral challenges allows it to solve targeted problems with precision, but also makes it difficult to systematically capture and apply lessons from successful interventions. This state of “bounded scalability” is traditionally framed as a generalizability challenge to scaling solutions; however, it may be better characterized as an interoperability challenge, which requires new methodology to democratize who gets to participate, and supports learning in addition to problem solving. Deploying boundary objects—artifacts and concepts that can effectively translate content across disciplinary contexts—as a means to achieve interoperability can lower the bar to sharing and applying effective intervention outcomes, while also raising the floor for less formally trained practitioners. In particular, the boundary objects known as pattern languages that support both analytic and synthetic activities may help interdisciplinary collaborators and non-professionals more effectively participate in behavioral problem solving.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Simon, H.A.: The Sciences of the Artificial, 3rd edn., [Nachdr.], MA MIT Press, Cambridge, MA (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Cash, P.J., Hartlev, C.G., Durazo, C.B.: Behavioural design: a process for integrating behaviour change and design. Des. Stud. 48, 96–128 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2016.10.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bates, M.A., Glennerster, R.T.: 2017). The Generalizability Puzzle (SSIR). Stanford Social Innovation Review (2017). https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_generalizability_puzzle

  4. DellaVigna, S., Linos, E.: RCTs to Scale: Comprehensive Evidence from Two Nudge Units, 65 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Johnson, S.: What works: when & why are nudges sticky, scaleable and transferable? J. Behav. Econ. Policy, 3(Special Issue), 19–21 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dolan, P., Hallsworth, M., Halpern, D., King, D., Metcalfe, R., Vlaev, I.: Influencing behaviour: the mindspace way. J. Econ. Psychol. 33(1), 264–277 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2011.10.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. The Behavioural Insights Team: EAST: Four simple ways to apply behavioural insights. London: BIT (2014). https://www.behaviouralinsights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/BIT-Publication-EAST_FA_WEB.pdf

  8. Michie, S., van Stralen, M.M., West, R.: The behaviour change wheel: a new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implement. Sci. 6(1), 42 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-6-42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. OECD: The BASIC Toolkit. Paris: OECD (n.d.). https://www.oecd.org/gov/regulatory-policy/tools-and-ethics-for-applied-behavioural-insights-the-basic-toolkit-9ea76a8f-en.htm

  10. Ludwig, J., Kling, J.R., Mullainathan, S.: Mechanism experiments and policy evaluations. J. Econ. Perspect. 25(3), 17–38 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.25.3.17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hauser, O.P., Gino, F., Norton, M.I.: Budging beliefs, nudging behaviour. Mind Soc. 17(1–2), 15–26 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11299-019-00200-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bohlen, L.C., et al.: Do combinations of behavior change techniques that occur frequently in interventions reflect underlying theory? Ann. Behav. Med. 54(11), 827–842 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaa078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Khadilkar, P.R., Cash, P.: Understanding behavioural design: barriers and enablers. J. Eng. Des. 31(10), 508–529 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2020.1836611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Feitsma, J., Whitehead, M.: Bounded interdisciplinarity: critical interdisciplinary perspectives on context and evidence in behavioural public policies. Behavioural Public Policy, 1–27 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2019.30

  15. Buchanan, R.: Wicked problems in design thinking. Des. Issues 8(2), 5–21 (1992). https://doi.org/10.2307/1511637

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  16. Goring, S.J., et al.: Improving the culture of interdisciplinary collaboration in ecology by expanding measures of success. Front. Ecol. Environ. 12(1), 39–47 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1890/120370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Reijula, S., Hertwig, R.: Self-nudging and the citizen choice architect. Behav. Public Policy, 1–31 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2020.5

  18. Lave, J., Wenger, E.: Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1991)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  19. Vygotsky, L.S.: Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1980)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. Star, S.L., Griesemer, J.R.: Institutional ecology, “translations” and boundary objects: amateurs and professionals in Berkeley’s museum of vertebrate zoology, 1907-39. Soc. Stud. Sci. 19(3), 387–420 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Huvila, I., Anderson, T.D., Jansen, E.H., McKenzie, P., Worrall, A.: Boundary objects in information science. J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci. 68(8), 1807–1822 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23817

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Johnson, M.P., Ballie, J., Thorup, T., Brooks, E.: Living on the edge: design artefacts as boundary objects. Des. J. 20(sup1), S219–S235 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2017.1352771

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Fiore, S.M.: Interdisciplinarity as teamwork: how the science of teams can inform team science. Small Group Res. 39(3), 251–277 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496408317797

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Pennington, D.D., Simpson, G.L., McConnell, M.S., Fair, J.M., Baker, R.J.: Transdisciplinary research, transformative learning, and transformative science. Bioscience 63(7), 564–573 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2013.63.7.9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Leigh Star, S.: This is not a boundary object: reflections on the origin of a concept. Sci. Technol. Hum. Values 35(5), 601–617 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1177/0162243910377624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Alexander, C.: A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings Construction. Oxford University Press, Oxford (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Alexander, C.: The Timeless Way of Building. Oxford University Press, Oxford (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Salingaros, N.A.: The structure of pattern languages. Archit. Res. Q. 4(2), 149–162 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1359135500002591

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  29. Huvila, I.: The politics of boundary objects: hegemonic interventions and the making of a document. J. Am. Soc. Inform. Sci. Technol. 62(12), 2528–2539 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.21639

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Borchers, J.O.: A pattern approach to interaction design. In: Gill, S. (ed.) Cognition, Communication and Interaction: Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Interactive Technology, pp. 114–131. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01206115

  31. Tidwell, J.: Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design. O’Reilly Media, Inc., Sebastopol (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Schmidt, R.: Strange bedfellows: design research and behavioral design. In: Design Research Society Proceedings. Presented at the Design Research Society 2020 International Conference: Synergy (2020). https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.252

  33. Hawkins, B., Pye, A., Correia, F.: Boundary objects, power, and learning: the matter of developing sustainable practice in organizations. Manag. Learn. 48(3), 292–310 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507616677199

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA

    Ruth Schmidt

  2. Department of Engineering Systems and Environment, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA

    Katelyn Stenger

Authors
  1. Ruth Schmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katelyn Stenger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ruth Schmidt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management, University College London, London, UK

    Evangelos Markopoulos

  2. Department IELM, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Ravindra S. Goonetilleke

  3. School of Arts and Social Science, The Open University of Hong Kong, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Amic G. Ho

  4. Asian Ergonomics Design Lab, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Yan Luximon

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Schmidt, R., Stenger, K. (2021). Overcoming Bounded Scalability: Achieving Interoperability Through Behavioral Boundary Objects. In: Markopoulos, E., Goonetilleke, R.S., Ho, A.G., Luximon, Y. (eds) Advances in Creativity, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Communication of Design. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 276. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80094-9_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80094-9_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-80093-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-80094-9

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation