This research proposal aims to develop individual student persuasion profiles based on susceptibility to persuasion and send tailored text messages to encourage positive academic behaviors. The study will survey undergraduate students in high-risk courses to assess their persuasion styles using the Susceptibility to Persuasion Scale. Students will then receive text messages employing different persuasion strategies based on their profile in order to increase academic support center visits and test scores. If effective, the personalized text messaging system could be expanded campus-wide.

1. Pilot- Persuasive
Technology: developing
persuasion profiles for
student success
Research proposal by Tyler Gayheart
1/12/2017

2. Goals Aim of research
● Timely: Auto Alerts Canvas Pilot
● Determine effectiveness of SMS/TEXT modality
● Develop individual persuasion profiles based on Susceptibility to
Persuasion Scale (STPS) (Kaptein et al.,2009).
● Determine how persuasive messages can drive positive academic
behaviors
● Consider campus-wide rollout for personalised messaging called -
“Academic Messaging Program” or AMP
○ Student signs up and we tailor experience based on their courses
○ Receive friendly reminders, hints, tips and nudges to seek help 2

3. This study focuses on the delivery of Text/SMS messages to
undergraduate students in high academic alert count courses to
encourage them to seek help at an academic learning center. The
study evaluates the effectiveness of persuasive messaging strategies
via text/sms modalities. Participants will complete the Susceptibility
to Persuasion Scale (STPC) and will receive tailored message
interventions based on their persuasion profile in an attempt to
encourage positive academic behaviors.
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4. Background/Rationale
● Ample evidence that tutoring and learning centers are beneficial in improving
high-risk students' academic performance and retention, getting those students
to participate in these academic support programs remains a problem
(Hodges & White, 2001).
● Positive “Term GPA” relationship with students receiving an alert and
accessing tutoring versus those receiving an alert and not accessing tutoring.
○ Alert alone is not enough
● Developing a Student Success Assignment tag in Canvas for top D,E & W
courses for auto alerts and avenue for intervention
● Deeper institutional knowledge of courses to resources (collaborative
crosswalk)
○ Additional information is needed to customize the message
● We do not proactively target “at-risk” students who earn a D,E, or W in the
first 5 weeks of a course to participate campus learning resources
Hodges, R., & White, W. G. (2001). Encouraging high-risk student participation in tutoring and supplemental instruction. Journal of Developmental Education, 24(3), 2.
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5. Participants
● Undergraduate students will be recruited via General & Organic Chemistry,
Biology, Math and Statistics.
● Participants will be recruited from courses across the university that have
traditional high D, E or withdrawal rates.
● It is important that courses are selected that have corresponding academic
support centers, as well as assignments administered in the university Learning
Management System (LMS).
○ Utilizing Canvas Student Success Assignment tag.
● Inclusion criteria for recruitment into this study will be based on poor
performance on Student Success Assignment within the course
● Any student within the participating pilot course can be included in the 5

6. Susceptibility to Persuasion
Scale (STPS)● Scale developed by Kaptein et al. (2009) to measure susceptibility of people to engage in the
six social influence strategies developed by Cialdini (2001)
● Kaptein et al. (2014) applied STPS to persuasive message for healthy behaviors (reduce
snacking)
● 24-item scale - Factor analysis - each six persuasion factors computed STPS found to be
moderately internally consistent - Cronbach’s α = 0.89
● Cialdini’s 6 Persuasion Principles:
1. Principle of reciprocation: People feel obligated to return a favor. (removed based on modality)
2. Principle of scarcity: When something is scarce, people will value it more.
3. Principle of authority: When a request is made by a legitimate authority, people are
inclined to follow/believe the request.Kaptein, M., De Ruyter, B., Markopoulos, P., & Aarts, E. (2012). Adaptive persuasive systems: a study of tailored persuasive text messages to reduce snacking. ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems (TiiS), 2(2), 10.
Kaptein, M., Markopoulos, P., de Ruyter, B., & Aarts, E. (2009). Can you be persuaded? individual differences in susceptibility to persuasion. Paper presented at the IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.
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7. Persuasion Strategy
Kaptein, M., De Ruyter, B., Markopoulos, P., & Aarts, E. (2012). Adaptive persuasive systems: a study of tailored persuasive text messages to reduce snacking. ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems (TiiS), 2(2), 10.
Kaptein, M., Markopoulos, P., de Ruyter, B., & Aarts, E. (2009). Can you be persuaded? individual differences in susceptibility to persuasion. Paper presented at the IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.
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8. Methods & Procedures
● Over the course of a 6-week trial, following the first exam in the selected
course, participants will be recruited via email with an invitation to take part in
the study.
● Following the completion of the STPS scale, individual persuasion
profiles/strategies will be developed
● Based on each persuasion profile type, tailored messages will run over the
course of the academic semester
● CRM and text messaging platform will be leveraged as a part of this study
● Outcome variables:
○ Successful visits to the corresponding learning center
○ Subsequent test scores
○ Mid-term grade 8

9. Next Steps
● IRB Approval (in draft)
● STPS - Qualtrics delivered (in draft)
● Email Recruitment messages (in draft)
● SMS/Text Strategies (in draft)
○ Message approval & design
○ Persuasion Profile Attribute in Retain
○ Persuasion Profile built in Mozeo
● Tagger Tableau Workbook for Selected Courses/Subjects (wip)
● Approval from course instructors/managers (email ready)
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10. Following the study...
● Actively solicit all currently enrolled students to sign up for the “Academic
Messaging Program” (AMP)
○ Customized and free digital academic assistant
○ Begin running active data driven persuasive campaigns to drive
active visits to learning centers
○ All opt-ins would complete short STPS
● Auto- campaigns managed in Salesforce CRM/Marketing Cloud
● Auto-campaigns would include even more personalization (milestones,
grades, timely course content (exam, quiz reminders), visit counts, etc
● Can extend beyond just text messaging (email, direct, social, etc)
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11. EXAMPLE RECRUITMENT PIECE
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12. References
● Boylan, H. (1992). What we know about what we do and what we do about what we know. Paper presented at the Keynote address at the National
Conference on Research in Developmental Education, Charlotte, NC.
● Cialdini, R. B. (2009). Influence: Science and practice (Vol. 4): Pearson Education Boston, MA.
● Flanagin, A. J., & Metzger, M. J. (2008). Digital media and youth: Unparalleled opportunity and unprecedented responsibility. Digital media, youth,
and credibility, 5-27.
● Fogg, B. J. (2002). Persuasive technology: using computers to change what we think and do. Ubiquity, 2002(December), 5.
● Hodges, R., & White, W. G. (2001). Encouraging high-risk student participation in tutoring and supplemental instruction. Journal of Developmental
Education, 24(3), 2.
● Kaptein, M., De Ruyter, B., Markopoulos, P., & Aarts, E. (2012). Adaptive persuasive systems: a study of tailored persuasive text messages to
reduce snacking. ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems (TiiS), 2(2), 10.
● Kaptein, M., Markopoulos, P., de Ruyter, B., & Aarts, E. (2009). Can you be persuaded? individual differences in susceptibility to persuasion. Paper
presented at the IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.
● Oinas-Kukkonen, H., & Harjumaa, M. (2009). Persuasive systems design: Key issues, process model, and system features. Communications of the
Association for Information Systems, 24(1), 28.
● Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion Communication and persuasion (pp. 1-24): Springer.
● Riley, W., Obermayer, J., & Jean-Mary, J. (2008). Internet and mobile phone text messaging intervention for college smokers. Journal of American
College Health, 57(2), 245-248.
● Spikol, D., & Zapico, J. L. Designing Mobile Persuasion: Using Pervasive Applications to Change Attitudes and Behaviors.
● Stockwell, M. S., Kharbanda, E. O., Martinez, R. A., Vargas, C. Y., Vawdrey, D. K., & Camargo, S. (2012). Effect of a text messaging intervention
on influenza vaccination in an urban, low-income pediatric and adolescent population: a randomized controlled trial. Jama, 307(16), 1702-1708.
● Sundar, S. S. (2008). The MAIN Model: A Heuristic Approach to Understanding Technology Effects on Credibility. 12

13. Questions?
Email Tyler Gayheart: Jtgayh2@uky.edu
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14. Notes.
Pilot Faculty Sponsors:
● Statistics- Bill Rayens - rayens@uky.edu
Faculty Advisor:
Derek Lane - Derek.Lane@uky.edu
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15. STPS. STPS Factor LoadingsItems in STPS
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16. Email
● Considered to be a dead medium
● Often used incorrectly
● Email is neither dead, nor dying among the GenZ
● No longer think of one mode of messaging within a silo
○ Mobile is a complex ecosystem
■ the more we can blur the lines among the apps and channels,
the more seamless we’ll appear
http://www.marketingdive.com/news/is-email-marketing-dead-among-younger-demographics/418263/
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17. Texting by the numbers
● Since Jan 2015: The University has sent over 121,832
text messages via our CRM to prospects and currently
enrolled students.
● Over 60% of first time freshmen opt-in to sms/text
messages
● 77% of students want relevant information from colleges
via text. (Cappex, 2016)
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