Abstract

Impulsive decision-making is increasingly amplified by algorithmic nudges, often resulting in financial strain, emotional distress, and reduced wellbeing. While existing AI-driven technologies align with and reinforce these behaviours by encouraging consumption, this study contradicts this approach by exploring the opposite: the design of an emotion-aware AI agent embedded within a decision support system (DSS) to foster deliberate decision-making. We enhance current behavioural decision theory and system dynamics research by modelling the reinforcing "dark loops" of impulsivity and proposing balancing "bright loops" where personalised and emotion-sensitive nudges can disrupt harmful cycles. Using causal loop diagrams and stock and flow diagrams, we extend the conceptualisation of persuasive technologies, transforming them into tools for financial and emotional wellbeing. This paper contributes to IS research by integrating affective computing into DSS design, reframing AI agents as artefacts for positive behaviour change, and providing a conceptual foundation for developing wellbeing-oriented decision support technologies.

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