Engaging adolescents in a computer-based weight management program: avatars and virtual coaches could help

LeRouge, Cynthia; Dickhut, Kathryn; Lisetti, Christine L.; Sangameswaran, Savitha; Malasanos, Toree

doi:10.1093/jamia/ocv078

Cited by 58 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(31 reference statements)

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“…Current findings also contribute to growing body of literature on adopting virtual agents in the context of health promotion for children and adolescents (Ahn et al, 2015;Ahn et al, 2016;LeRouge, Dickhut, Lisetti, Sangameswaran, & Malasanos, 2016;Wang et al, 2015) by suggesting that virtual agents may foster relatedness perceptions in children, particularly when the virtual agents deliver external rewards. Earlier research indicates that children perceive relationships and friendships differently than adults because their judgment of people remains relatively underdeveloped and self-centered until their cognitive abilities mature in adolescence (Bigelow & LaGaipa, 1980).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Points-Based Reward Systems in Gamification Impact Children’s Physical Activity Strategies and Psychological Needs

2019

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Gamification is an increasingly popular form of health intervention but its efficacy remains elusive due to a lack of clarity in its conceptualization and operationalization. This study aimed to isolate and determine the direct causal effect of one of the most popular game elements used in gamified interventions, the points-based reward system, on physical activity (PA) in children. A 72-hour field study with children aged 9 to 13 (N = 67) was conducted using a digital PA intervention featuring a virtual dog, with and without a points-based reward system. PA was assessed with an activity monitor, and overall PA, three levels of PA intensity, and PA strategies during the 3-day intervention were measured. Guided by self-determination theory, the impact of the points-based reward system on children's basic psychological needs was also investigated. Results indicated that the points-based reward system briefly increased PA engagement but did not significantly affect overall PA over time. When given equal number of points regardless of intensity, children approached the PA intervention strategically by engaging in significantly more light intensity and significantly less vigorous intensity PA than children who did not receive points. Results also suggested that the points-based reward system might promote perceptions of relatedness with the virtual agent featured in the gamified intervention.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Points-Based Reward Systems in Gamification Impact Children’s Physical Activity Strategies and Psychological Needs

2019

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“…More product development and research focused on non-adult populations, including children, teens, and older adults, is needed. Children and teenagers may be particularly interested in the use of VR and AR technology as a form of entertainment and may be more receptive to nutrition education and behavior change approaches which incorporate this technology [18,19]. Previous research has found that teenagers were interested in a VR avatar approach to weight loss because it would fit with their lifestyle and help support healthy behaviors [19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Children and teenagers may be particularly interested in the use of VR and AR technology as a form of entertainment and may be more receptive to nutrition education and behavior change approaches which incorporate this technology [18,19]. Previous research has found that teenagers were interested in a VR avatar approach to weight loss because it would fit with their lifestyle and help support healthy behaviors [19]. The use of VR and AR may also be a desirable and effective approach for nutrition education and behavior change for older adults who have mobility limitations or limited access to in-person nutrition education programs [20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extended Reality Technologies in Nutrition Education and Behavior: Comprehensive Scoping Review and Future Directions

et al. 2020

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The use of Extended Reality (XR) (i.e. Virtual and Augmented Reality) for nutrition education and behavior change has not been comprehensively reviewed. This paper presents findings from a scoping review of current published research. Articles (n = 92) were extracted from PubMed and Scopus using a structured search strategy and selection approach. Pertinent study information was extracted using a standardized data collection form. Each article was independently reviewed and coded by two members of the research team, who then met to resolve any coding discrepancies. There is an increasing trend in publication in this area, mostly regarding Virtual Reality. Most studies used developmental testing in a lab setting, employed descriptive or observational methods, and focused on momentary behavior change like food selection rather than education. The growth and diversity of XR studies suggest the potential of this approach. There is a need and opportunity for more XR technology focused on children and other foundational theoretical determinants of behavior change to be addressed within nutrition education. Our findings suggest that XR technology is a burgeoning approach in the field of nutrition, but important gaps remain, including inadequate methodological rigor, community application, and assessment of the impact on dietary behaviors.

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“…In the last decade, the use of virtual agents in health care has been explored in different domains, spanning from nursing (Bickmore et al, 2012 ) and counseling (LeRouge et al, 2015 ) to training of people with autism (Burke et al, 2018 ) and assistance to elderly and cognitively impaired people (Yaghoubzadeh et al, 2013 ; Chauveau et al, 2018 ). Virtual agents can be implemented on different devices in an non intrusive way, thus guaranteeing portability and continuity in therapies, and can be personalized to meet the needs of specific patients or groups of patients.…”

Section: Modeling Story Characters With the Mea Agentmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Emotional Agent for Moral Impairment Rehabilitation in TBI Patients

et al. 2020

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The ability to identify the emotions of others is a key component of what is known as social cognition. Narratives exploit this mechanism to create an emotional bond with the characters and to maintain the engagement of the audience throughout the story. In this paper, we illustrate a case study in emotion understanding in stories that exploits a computational agent to explore emotion impairment in a group of traumatic brain injured people. The study focuses on moral emotions, aiming to investigate the differences in moral functioning that characterize traumatic brain injured patients. After comparing the understanding of the moral and emotional facets of the agent's behavior in traumatic brain injured patients and in neurologically intact controls, slight-yet meaningful-differences were observed between the two groups. We describe the test methodology and results, highlighting their implications for the design of rehabilitation applications based on virtual agents.

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Engaging adolescents in a computer-based weight management program: avatars and virtual coaches could help

Cited by 58 publications

References 27 publications

Points-Based Reward Systems in Gamification Impact Children’s Physical Activity Strategies and Psychological Needs

Points-Based Reward Systems in Gamification Impact Children’s Physical Activity Strategies and Psychological Needs

Extended Reality Technologies in Nutrition Education and Behavior: Comprehensive Scoping Review and Future Directions

An Emotional Agent for Moral Impairment Rehabilitation in TBI Patients

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