If You Are Happy and DON'T Know IT: Continuance? Analyzing Emotion Carry-Over Effects in Activity Tracking Continuance Decisions

Activity tracking devices and apps are positioned to enhance healthy behavior. Albeit positive outcomes are widely anticipated, many users abandon their devices and apps after short time which raises concerns about their effectiveness. Studies indicate that self-tracking can provoke –positive but particularly negative– emotions with which people have to cope. Though studying emotions in IS usage is gaining attention, the role of system-unrelated emotions have been largely neglected yet can play an important role in human behavior. This study theorizes how system-unrelated emotions ‚carry-over‘ into IS continuance decisions in the context of activity- tracking. Results of an experimental survey largely support the ‚carry-over‘ effect in IS continuance decisions – particularly for less experienced users. Our study contributes to the growing self-tracking literature but also to research on emotions in IS usage by highlighting the powerful role of system-unrelated emotions.