Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

The Green IT approach questions the environmental, social and economic impact of digital technology. Design fiction is a discipline that can guide behaviors in favor of Green IT by building new imaginaries. However, to our knowledge, few studies assess the impact of narratives of possible future on behavioral intentions. To answer this question, we conducted a study with 388 participants, examining the impact of 14 different scenarios of possible digital futures on individual perceptions. The results showed that, for individuals with already a high level of Green IT practices, the fear dimension of scenarios has a preeminent impact on their intention to further increase these behaviors, whereas people with little practice of Green IT are more sensitive to confidence and the presence of solutions. These results pave the way for the integration of specific technological narratives within the construction of future public policies in favor of Green IT.