11th EAI International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare

Research Article

Experts Get Me Started, Peers Keep Me Going: Comparing Crowd- versus Expert-Designed Motivational Text Messages for Exercise Behavior Change

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1145/3154862.3154875,
        author={Roelof De Vries and Cristina Zaga and Franciskza Bayer and Constance Drossaert and Khiet Truong and Vanessa Evers},
        title={Experts Get Me Started, Peers Keep Me Going: Comparing Crowd- versus Expert-Designed Motivational Text Messages for Exercise Behavior Change},
        proceedings={11th EAI International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare},
        publisher={ACM},
        proceedings_a={PERVASIVEHEALTH},
        year={2018},
        month={1},
        keywords={motivational messages; exercise adherence; health behavior change; transtheoretical model; processes of change; stages of change; pervasive health technology;},
        doi={10.1145/3154862.3154875}
    }
    
  • Roelof De Vries
    Cristina Zaga
    Franciskza Bayer
    Constance Drossaert
    Khiet Truong
    Vanessa Evers
    Year: 2018
    Experts Get Me Started, Peers Keep Me Going: Comparing Crowd- versus Expert-Designed Motivational Text Messages for Exercise Behavior Change
    PERVASIVEHEALTH
    ACM
    DOI: 10.1145/3154862.3154875
Roelof De Vries1,*, Cristina Zaga1, Franciskza Bayer1, Constance Drossaert1, Khiet Truong1, Vanessa Evers1
  • 1: University of Twente
*Contact email: rajdevries@gmail.com

Abstract

We present a comparative analysis of motivational messages designed with a theory-driven approach. A previous study [4] involved crowdsourcing to design and evaluate motivational text messages for physical activity, and showed that these peer-designed text messages aligned to behavior change strategies from theory. However, the messages were predominantly rated as motivating in the later stages of behavior change, not in the earlier stages, including those strategies intended for the earlier stages. We speculated that the peers that designed the messages aligned to the strategies did not have sufficient expertise to motivate people in earlier stages. Therefore, we replicated the study with experts. We found that for two of the strategies expert-designed messages were found more motivating in the earliest stage, while for several of the strategies peer-designed messages were rated more motivating for later stages. We conclude that when using these strategies in behavior change technology, expert-designed messages could be more motivating in the earliest stage, while peer-designed messages could be more motivating in the later stages.