Mobile game approach to prevent childhood obesity using persuasive technology

Persuasive Technology Using Computers To Change What We Think And Do

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Personality-Based Personalization of Online Store Features Using Genetic Programming: Analysis and Experiment

Abstract: The decisions made by the customers in online environments are influenced by their personality characteristics. Each customer in an online environment relies more heavily on certain features of a store to make decisions while ignoring others. Thus, personalizing these features may streamline the decision-making process and increase satisfaction. In this paper, an intelligent method for personalizing the features of an online store according to the users’ personality is presented. In the proposed method, using genetic programming several equations are developed to estimate how users with different personality characteristics prefer various features of an online store. These equations are then used for personalization of the store features to increase customers’ satisfaction and persuade them to make larger purchases. The evaluation on a sample of 194 individuals indicates that the obtained equations are able to estimate the user’s preferences with over 80% accuracy in most cases. In addition, empirical assessment of the obtained equations shows that the proposed personalization method improves the user satisfaction.

Effectiveness and implementation of health games targeting implicit attitudes towards food and food choice

Abstract: Objective: Improving diets by stimulating fruit and vegetable consumption might be beneficial, in particular when they substitute energy-dense products. The aim of present study was to investigate whether a health game can be used to positively affect healthy implicit attitudes (IAs) towards food and subsequent food choice behaviour of young adults. Design: A 2 (Time: baseline vs. post-test) x 2 (Condition: health game vs. control game) x 2 (Baseline IAs: healthy IAs vs. less healthy IAs) mixed-subjects design was used with 125 participants (age: M = 20.17, SD = 1.88). Main Outcome Measures: IAs towards food were assessed at baseline and post-test using an Implicit Association Test (IAT). Additionally, food choice behaviour was assessed after game play. Results: At baseline, the majority of participants had healthy IAs (i.e., favouring fruit over chocolate snacks). At post-test, significantly less healthy IAs were observed in the control condition, while this reduction was not significant in the health game condition. Regarding food choice behaviour, participants with healthy baseline IAs were more likely to select fruit in the health game condition than participants with healthy baseline IAs in the control game condition. However, participants with less healthy baseline IAs were less likely to select fruit in the health game condition than in the control condition. We found tentative support that health games can be used to influence IAs towards food and positively affect food choice behaviour. However, this influence was only observed for those with healthy baseline IAs. Conclusion: The current version of the health game would primarily benefit those already healthy and could negatively affect those that need the intervention most, so modifications are

A multimedia cloud-based framework for constant monitoring on obese patients

Abstract: Obesity phenomenon has become a significant issue over the world. Obesity has various negative consequences that might impact not only the health but also the social and the economic issues. Current studies reveal the lack of patients' commitment to the doctors' instructions. In this paper, we propose a new cloud-based model with ultimate aim to monitor obese patients' health condition and behavior constantly under a real-time vision of the caregiver. The proposed model provides a technical method to record, disseminates, and share knowledge and awareness among patients and caregivers. This model utilizes wireless body sensor network devices to measure heart rate; mobile web-service as a middleware to process the data from/to cloud knowledge-base and a caregiver backend/dashboard for the real-time monitor. A live test demo of the model experimented on 55 subjects to check its applicability and cost-effectiveness. The results were promised and prove its ability to help overcoming this disease.

A Mapping Study on Mobile Games for Patients of Chronic Diseases

Abstract: There is a growing interest of using technologies to propose solutions for healthcare issues. One of such issues is the incidence of chronic diseases, which are responsible for a considerable proportion of worldwide mortality. It is possible to prevent the development of such diseases using tools and methods that instruct the population. To achieve this, mobile games provide a powerful environment for teaching different subjects to user, without them actively knowing that they are learning new concepts. Despite the growing interest of using mobile games in healthcare, more specifically by patients with chronic diseases, in the best of our knowledge there are no studies that address the current research being published in the area. To close this gap, we carried out a systematic mapping study to synthesize an overview of the area. Five databases were searched and more than 1200 studies were analyzed and filtered. Among them, 17 met the the inclusion and exclusion criteria defined in this work. The results show that there is still room for research in this area, since the studies focus on a younger audience rather than proposing solutions for all ages. Furthermore, the number of chronic conditions being addressed is still small, obesity and diabetes are prevalent. Besides, the full capacity of game features that foster learning through games are not being employed, the majority of games proposed by the articles encompass less than half of these features.

Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization, and choice.

Abstract: This experiment examined the effects on the learning process of 3 complementary strategies—contextualization, personalization, and provision of choices—for enhancing students' intrinsic motivation. Elementary school children in 1 control and 4 experimental conditions worked with educational computer activities designed to teach arithmetical order-ofoperations rules. In the control condition, this material was presented abstractly. In the experimental conditions, identical material was presented in meaningful and appealing learning contexts, in either generic or individually personalized form. Half of the students in each group were also offered choices concerning instructionally incidental aspects of the learning contexts; the remainder were not. Contextualization, personalization, and choice all produced dramatic increases, not only in students' motivation but also in their depth of engagement in learning, the amount they learned in a fixed time period, and their perceived competence and levels of aspiration. Learning, every parent knows, can be fun. From the dogged dedication of the infant learning to walk and the voraciousness of the toddler first learning the names of objects to the insatiable curiosity of the preschooler wanting to know the "why" behind everything, astute observers from Plato to Piaget have remarked upon young children's intrinsic love for learning. There are, it appears, no preschool children with "motivational deficits." Yet only a few years later, after these same children have entered school, their motivation to learn has somehow become decidedly more problematic. Many of them seem to find the instructional activities in schools to be dull and

A Systematic Framework for Designing and Evaluating Persuasive Systems

Abstract: A growing number of information technology systems and services are being developed to change users' attitudes or behavior or both. Despite the fact that attitudinal theories from social psychology have been quite extensively applied to the study of user intentions and behavior, these theories have basically provided checklists or rules of thumb rather than systematic design methods or methodologies to develop software solutions. This article is conceptual-theoretical by its nature. It discusses the process of designing and evaluating persuasive systems and describes what kind of content and software functionality may be found at the final product. Seven underlying postulates behind persuasive systems, ways to analyze the user and the use context, and persuasive design strategies and guidelines are highlighted. Based on the works of Fogg, the article also lists techniques for persuasive system content and functionality, describing example software requirements and implementations. Some new techniques are suggested. Moreover, a new categorization of these techniques is proposed, composing of the primary task, dialogue, system credibility, and social support categories.

Chick clique: persuasive technology to motivate teenage girls to exercise

Abstract: We are developing a preventative health cell phone application that helps motivate teenage girls to exercise by exploiting their social desire to stay connected with their peers. We targeted girls because they are more likely to become less active throughout adolescence and are more likely to use dangerous techniques for losing weight. The intent of Chick Clique is to provide information at opportune times in order to modify the behaviors of girls and ultimately lead to improved health habits. Our study investigated how collecting, sharing and comparing personal fitness information impacts activity level and health awareness.

Workers' remittances, economic growth and poverty in developing Asia and the Pacific countries

Abstract: "Workers' Remittances, Economic Growth and Poverty in Developing Asia and the Pacific Countries" examines the impact of workers' remittances on growth and poverty reduction in developing Asia-Pacific countries using panel data over the period 1993-2003. The results suggests that while remittances do have a significant impact on poverty reduction through increasing income, smoothing consumption and easing capital constraints of the poor, they have only a marginal impact on growth operating through domestic investment and human capital development.

It's Time to Eat! Using Mobile Games to Promote Healthy Eating

Abstract: It's never been more important to teach youth the importance of healthy eating habits. Time to Eat, a mobile-phone-based game, motivates children to practice healthy eating habits by letting them care for a virtual pet. Players send the pet photos of the food they consume throughout the day; the food's healthiness determines the game's outcome. An examination of the game's design provides insight into the potential of deploying health games on mobile phones.