Paper Number
ECIS2026-1008
Paper Type
CRP
Abstract
Although digital tools designed to support personal goals are becoming more widely available, many users disengage early on, even when the tools are value-congruent (i.e., the purpose and underlying values of the technology align with the user's own values). This study investigates why individuals discontinue using a value-congruent chatbot despite initially intending to use it. The findings, based on qualitative interviews, show that the perceived usefulness and personal relevance of the answers provided were limited by doubts about their accuracy, outweighing the benefits of value congruence. Participants only engaged briefly, often treating use as an evaluation rather than a means of continued engagement. Negative beliefs, including mistrust, redundancy, and pressure, further reduced motivation to persist. The results demonstrate that value congruence alone does not ensure sustained engagement. Instead, discontinuation emerges as an early, preference-driven judgment shaped by the absence of trust, relevance, and perceived personal benefit.
Recommended Citation
Kürschner, Anna-Rosa, "Too Green To Use? Exploring Early Discontinuance Mechanisms In Value-Congruent Information Systems" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/is_adopt/is_adopt/1
Too Green To Use? Exploring Early Discontinuance Mechanisms In Value-Congruent Information Systems
Although digital tools designed to support personal goals are becoming more widely available, many users disengage early on, even when the tools are value-congruent (i.e., the purpose and underlying values of the technology align with the user's own values). This study investigates why individuals discontinue using a value-congruent chatbot despite initially intending to use it. The findings, based on qualitative interviews, show that the perceived usefulness and personal relevance of the answers provided were limited by doubts about their accuracy, outweighing the benefits of value congruence. Participants only engaged briefly, often treating use as an evaluation rather than a means of continued engagement. Negative beliefs, including mistrust, redundancy, and pressure, further reduced motivation to persist. The results demonstrate that value congruence alone does not ensure sustained engagement. Instead, discontinuation emerges as an early, preference-driven judgment shaped by the absence of trust, relevance, and perceived personal benefit.