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Setting Physical Activity Goals with a Virtual Coach: Vicarious Experiences, Personalization and Acceptance
Nele Albers1, Beyza Hizli2, Bouke L Scheltinga3
1Intelligent Systems, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands. n.albers@tudelft.nl.
Journal of Medical Systems
|January 29, 2023
Summary
Virtual coaches can help users set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals in eHealth for behavior change. Personalized examples in goal-setting dialogues increase motivation, though self-efficacy may decrease post-interaction.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Behavioral Science
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Goal-setting is crucial for behavior change in eHealth, requiring specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) criteria.
- Confidence in achieving goals is essential for sustained motivation and adherence.
- Virtual coaches offer a scalable approach to guide users through goal-setting processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a goal-setting dialogue featuring a virtual coach (Jody) that incorporates personalized vicarious experiences.
- To assess the impact of personalized versus generic vicarious experiences on user motivation and confidence.
- To explore user attitudes towards virtual coaches in eHealth behavior change interventions.
Main Methods:
- An online study with 39 participants using a between-subjects, pre-post measurement design.
- Participants engaged in a goal-setting dialogue with a virtual coach, Jody, who provided personalized vicarious experiences.
- Data collection involved pre- and post-dialogue measurements of motivation and self-efficacy.
Main Results:
- Personalized vicarious experiences were found to be more motivating than generic ones.
- Key motivational factors included goal details, the path to achievement, and observing relatable others succeed.
- Participants reported a positive attitude towards the virtual coach, Jody, but showed a decrease in self-efficacy post-dialogue.
Conclusions:
- Goal-setting dialogues with virtual coaches are positively received in eHealth for behavior change.
- Personalized vicarious experiences enhance motivation effectively.
- The observed decrease in self-efficacy warrants further investigation into its relationship with realistic ability assessment.
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