How Warm Glow Alters the Usability of Technology
Antonios Saravanos · 2025
As technology increasingly aligns with users’ personal values, traditional models of usability that focus on functionality, specifically effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, may not fully capture how people perceive and evaluate a technology. This study investigates how the warm-glow phenomenon, the positive feeling associated with doing good, shapes perceived usability. We used an experimental approach in which participants evaluated a hypothetical technology under conditions designed to evoke either the intrinsic (i.e., personal fulfillment) or extrinsic (i.e., social recognition) dimensions of warm glow. A multivariate analysis of variance and subsequent follow-up analyses revealed that intrinsic warm glow significantly enhances all dimensions of perceived usability, while extrinsic warm glow selectively influences perceived effectiveness and satisfaction. These findings suggest that perceptions of usability extend beyond functionality and are shaped by how technologies resonate with users’ broader sense of purpose. We conclude by proposing that designers consider incorporating warm-glow effects into technology as a strategic design decision.