Design for Hope but With End in Mind
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Things that give us hope from the American Dream to forgiveness and lottery tickets strongly shape our behaviors and thoughts. Designing to create, prolong or sharpen hope is key challenge in cognitive design. But care must be taken to avoid giving “false” hope or “nonproductive” hope in alternatives that otherwise impeded constructive processes.
Nonproductive hope is illustrated well in a recent study at the University of Michigan that shows chronically ill may be happier if they give up hope. Here is the set up:
“At the time they received their colostomy, some patients were told that the colostomy was reversible — that they would undergo a second operation to reconnect their bowels after several months. Others were told that the colostomy was permanent and that they would never have normal bowel function again. The second group – the one without hope — reported being happier over the next six months than those with reversible colostomies.”
The hypothesis is that the group without hope accepted the situation and got on with their lives. Clearly illustrating the value of avoiding nonproductive hope.
