Exploring a Gaming-Based Intervention for Unemployed Young Adults: Thematic Analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Game Design

Background:

• Young, unemployed adults often lack self-esteem and self-efficacy to navigate job search challenges.
• Web-based positive psychology interventions can reach this demographic at scale but suffer from low user engagement.
• A gamified approach may enhance user experience and engagement with digital interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the user experience of a gamified positive psychology intervention among young, unemployed adults.
• To extract design principles for future gaming-based interventions targeting this population.

Main Methods:

• Development of a gaming-based positive psychology intervention by researchers, designers, and developers.
• Formative usability testing with 18 young adults from the target demographic.
• Thematic analysis of transcribed recordings and notes from usability sessions.

Main Results:

• Identified three key themes for future gaming interventions: adaptation to user preferences, empathic player interaction, and sensemaking of experience.
• User preferences necessitate responsiveness to inputs and diverse interaction modes.
• Clear presentation of game objectives and management of user expectations are vital for sensemaking.

Conclusions:

• End-user feedback is critical for aligning intervention design with user needs and preferences.
• Gamification can increase engagement but risks distorting intervention goals if narrative and objectives are misaligned.
• A structured approach is proposed to align user needs, intervention objectives, and gameplay for optimal outcomes.