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Using Computer Simulations for Investigating a Sex Education Intervention: An Exploratory Study.

Anastasia Eleftheriou¹, Seth Bullock², Cynthia A Graham³

¹Institute for Complex Systems Simulation, Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.

JMIR Serious Games

|May 5, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study explored using a computer simulation game for sex education. The game reduced participants' confidence in assessing sexual risks, with women showing greater changes than men.

Keywords:

STI computer simulation gender personality sex education

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Area of Science:

Digital Health
Sex Education
Behavioral Science

Background:

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a significant public health concern.
Consistent condom use is the primary prevention method against STIs.
Few interventions address the false sense of security in judging STI presence based on attractiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore computer simulations as serious games for sex education.
To assess the impact of a novel serious game on self-rated confidence in evaluating STI risk.
To examine gender, age, and personality trait influences on confidence shifts.

Main Methods:

Web-based questionnaire study with between- and within-subject analyses.
Utilized a UK-hosted platform for delivering stimuli and collecting data.
Participants (N=66) played the 'Term on the Tides' computer simulation and completed validated questionnaires.

Main Results:

Overall confidence in evaluating sexual risks significantly decreased post-game (P<.005).
Age and personality traits did not predict changes in risk assessment confidence.
Women exhibited significantly larger decreases in confidence compared to men (P=.03).

Conclusions:

Computer simulations show potential as serious games for sex education.
The 'Term on the Tides' game influenced participants' confidence in sexual risk evaluation.
Findings highlight gender differences in game-induced confidence shifts regarding sexual risk.