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06:53
Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
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Self-discrepancy and regulatory fit in avatar-based exergames.
1Department of Communication, Boston College, Maloney Hall 544, 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. seunga.jin.1@bc.edu
Psychological Reports
|February 14, 2013
Summary
Health game design impacts dieting intentions. A fit between regulatory focus and efficacy appeals boosts intentions when the actual self is activated, but decreases them when the ideal self is activated.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Consumer Behavior
Background:
- Health games can influence health behaviors, but understanding the psychological mechanisms is crucial.
- Higgins's self-discrepancy theory and regulatory focus theory provide frameworks for examining self-representation and motivation in behavior change.
- The interplay between activated self-concepts and regulatory orientations in persuasive health interventions remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how activated selves (actual vs. ideal) and regulatory foci (promotion vs. prevention) interact with efficacy appeals in health games.
- To determine the impact of these interactions on low-calorie dieting intentions.
- To explore theoretical contributions to social psychology and practical implications for consumer behavior.
Main Methods:
- A 2x2x2 between-subjects experiment was conducted with 156 participants.
- Participants engaged with health games featuring avatar creation and exergaming (Wii).
- Independent variables included activated self (actual/ideal), regulatory focus (promotion/prevention), and efficacy appeals (self/response efficacy).
Main Results:
- A significant interaction was found between regulatory focus, efficacy appeals, and activated self on dieting intentions.
- A fit between regulatory focus and efficacy appeals increased dieting intentions when the actual self was activated.
- Conversely, this fit decreased dieting intentions when the ideal self was activated.
Conclusions:
- The findings highlight the importance of aligning psychological factors within health game design for effective behavior change.
- Tailoring health game messages based on users' activated selves and regulatory foci can optimize outcomes.
- This research offers valuable insights for designing persuasive health technologies and understanding consumer responses to health-related interventions.
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