"It felt more real": Investigating the User Experience of the MiWaves Personalizing JITAI Pilot Study

Cannabis use among emerging adults is increasing globally, posing significant health risks and creating a need for effective interventions. This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the MiWaves pilot study, a digital intervention aimed at supporting cannabis use reduction among emerging adults (ages 18-25). The findings indicate the potential of self-monitoring check-ins and trend visualizations in fostering self-awareness and promoting behavioral reflection in participants. MiWaves intervention message timing and frequency were also generally well-received by the participants. The participants' perception of effort were queried on intervention messages with different tasks, and the findings suggest that messages with tasks like exploring links and typing in responses are perceived as requiring more effort as compared to messages with tasks involving reading and acknowledging. Limitations and implications for future research in digital health and just-in-time adaptive interventions are also discussed.