Goal setting for persuasive information systems: Five reference checklists

The concept of goals is prominent in information systems and also artificial intelligence literature such as goal-oriented requirements engineering and self-adaptive systems. Digital motivation systems, e.g. gamification and persuasive technology, utilise the concept of behavioural goals which require a different mind-set on how to elicit and set them up, how to monitor deviation from such goals and how to ensure their completion. Behavioural goals are characterised by a range of factors which are not the main focus in classic information systems and AI literature such as self-efficacy, perceived usefulness. To engineer software supporting goal setting, a concretised taxonomy of goals would help a better-managed analysis and design process. In this paper, we provide a detailed classification of behavioural goals and their associated properties and elements (types, sources, monitoring, feedback, deviation and countermeasures). As a method, we review the literature on goal setting theory and its application in different disciplines. We subsequently develop five reference checklists which would act as a reference point for researchers and practitioners in persuasive and motivational systems

Wearables at work:preferences from an employee’s perspective

This exploratory study aims to obtain a first impression of the wishes and needs of employees on the use of wearables at work for health promotion. 76 employ-ees with a mean age of 40 years old (SD ±11.7) filled in a survey after trying out a wearable. Most employees see the potential of using wearable devices for workplace health promotion. However, according to employees, some negative aspects should be overcome before wearables can effectively contribute to health promotion. The most mentioned negative aspects were poor visualization and un-pleasantness of wearing. Specifically for the workplace, employees were con-cerned about the privacy of data collection

CBEM - comer bem, exercitar melhor: aplicação móvel de saúde, para jovens estudantes universitários portugueses

Mestrado em Comunicação MultimédiaA nível global, temos assistido a uma explosão da quantidade de aplicações destinadas a dispositivos móveis, como smartphones e tablets. É este, também, o caso das aplicações para a monitorização da alimentação e da actividade física, que têm ganho popularidade à medida que a a qualidade tecnológica dos dispositivos dispara, com novidades e inovações lançadas a um ritmo frenético. Inerente à manifesta deflagração deste mercado está um público jovem que cresceu a par das novas tecnologias da informação e que demonstra, grosso modo, grande facilidade e interesse em explorar novas linguagens digitais. Mas existirão aplicações concebidas a pensar neste público específico? Em Portugal, a oferta de aplicações desenvolvidas no país para controlar a alimentação e o exercício é quase nula. É ainda mais esparsa se procurarmos um produto que se dedique especificamente a jovens. Os utilizadores portugueses vêm-se obrigados a recorrer a aplicações que, muitas vezes, são concebidas em outras línguas e/ou para uma realidade cultural diferente da nossa, nomeadamente no que aos tipos de alimentos e atividades físicas diz respeito. Uma revisão do estado da arte tornou evidente que existe uma lacuna na oferta de aplicações de controlo da alimentação e saúde dedicadas a jovens portugueses. Assim, a presente investigação vem propor uma solução que procura preencher esse mesmo hiato, afunilando o seu público-alvo e considerando os jovens estudantes universitários portugueses. Apresenta-se, desta forma, a solução CBem – Comer Bem, Exercitar Melhor, uma ferramenta que pretende contribuir para uma alimentação mais saudável e incentivar à prática da atividade física, combatendo o sedentarismo nos estudantes portugueses. Visto que se dedica a um público jovem, procura assumir um papel didático, na medida em que tenta encorajar boas práticas para um estilo de vida mais saudável.Globally, we have been witnessing an explosion of the number of applications aimed at mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets. With them, softwares for monitoring nutrition and physical activity have been gaining popularity. Inherent to this booming market is a young audience that has grown along side with technology and thus shows great ease and interest in exploring new digital languages. But are there health applications conceived for this specific audience? In Portugal, the supply of native applications to control nutrition and exercise is almost nil. And there are even less solutions dedicated specifically to youth. Portuguese users have to rely on software that is often designed in other languages and in a cultural reality different from ours. A review of the state of the art makes clear that there is a gap in the offer for health mobile applications dedicated to young Portuguese students. Thus, this research proposes a solution that seeks to fill that same gap. It proposes CBem, a tool that aims to contribute to a healthier diet and to encourage physical activity, discouraging sedentary lifestyles. Since it is dedicated to a young audience, it seeks to assume a didactic role, by instilling good practices for a healthier lifestyle

Developing a mixed methods framework for process evaluations of complex interventions: the case of the National Exercise Referral Scheme Policy Trial in Wales

Where possible, policies to improve public health should be evidence-based. Where political pressures and shortage of evidence force action in advance of evidence, effectiveness can be evaluated during policy rollout. Because the aetiology of public health issues is complex, successful policies will likely be complex in their design, their implementation and their interaction with their contexts and target audiences. Process evaluation is therefore crucial in order to inform consistent implementation, and alongside outcomes evaluation, in order to understand how outcomes are produced. However, limited methodological guidance exists for process evaluation. This thesis develops a mixed-method framework exploring programme theory, diffusion, implementation, participant experiences and reach, which is applied to the evaluation of the Welsh National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS). A logic model is developed via discussions with policy representatives. Diffusion is explored via qualitative interviews with policy representatives and local coordinators. Implementation checks draw on routine data, observation and self-report. Participant experiences are explored via qualitative interviews. Social patterning in reach is explored using routine monitoring data. The study identifies challenges diffusing NERS into local practice, in relation to communication structures, support, training provision and the mutual adaptation of the scheme and its contexts. Implementation checks indicate a common core of discounted, supervised, group-based exercise, though some divergence from programme theory emerged, with unfamiliar activities such as motivational interviewing and patient follow-up protocols delivered poorly. Nevertheless, relatively high adherence rates were achieved. Key perceived active ingredients in practice included professional supervision, enabling patients to build confidence and learn to exercise safely, and the patient-only environment, seen as providing an empathic context and realistic role models. However, lower uptake emerged amongst non-car owners, with higher adherence amongst patients already moderately active at baseline, older patients and non-mental health patients. Implications for ERS implementation, outcomes interpretation and process evaluation methodology are discussed

An Elicitation Method for Technology-Assisted Goal Setting: Combating Problematic Social Networks Use as a Case Study.

Now that digital media has become an integral part of our everyday lives, people spend significant time using it for various purposes, including social networking and gaming. There is increasing acceptance in the literature of the link between obsessive, compulsive, and excessive usage of social media, e.g. social networks, and the wellbeing of users, whether personal, economic, or social. Despite the research on the negative experiences linked to problematic social networking usage, the work on how to regulate such an effect is at a preliminary stage. In the literature on behavioural change, technology-assisted solutions that utilise the concept of behavioural goals have started to appear, such as gamification and persuasive technology, mainly to increase motivation for change. Also, the literature has revealed that social networks can be augmented with functionalities to assist those seeking to regulate their problematic usage. When technology is used to assist behavioural change, e.g. apps for diet and smoking cessation, requirements become behavioural. While there are established methods for capturing business requirements in organisational information systems, characterised mainly by being a desired and declared state of the system, capturing behavioural requirements, such as goals, requires a different approach to the entire engineering lifecycle. Behavioural requirements gathering and validation would require dealing with issues of unreliability and denial present in problematic behaviours. Therefore, this thesis aims to provide a method expressly tailored to the elicitation of behavioural requirements. The method will be supported by the goal setting strategy and its associated elements. In order to attain this aim, this thesis followed a qualitative research approach with experts, practitioners, and end-users who self-declared having problematic social networking usage and seeking help. This process includes literature reviews, focus group sessions, experts' and practitioners' interviews, user interviews, and analysis of extended survey comments. Research conducted resulted in reference checklists for common goal setting elements, a taxonomy of the negative life experiences associated with problematic usage, and users' perceptions of the use of technology to assist goal setting. The results of the studies helped to propose a method to support users in specifying their goal-setting design requirements. The thesis then evaluated the proposed method with representative users who self-declared having problematic social network usage. The evaluation aimed to investigate the method’s effectiveness, whether it covers all the goal-setting elements, and how communication should work between study participants