In the Quest for the Motivation App: Designing Effective Behavior Change Apps Through the Lens of the Self-Determination Theory

Mobile apps are used to support behavior change goals (e.g., stopping a lousy habit, increasing the physical activity frequency, or learning a new skill). Because these apps are pervasive, they are great tools to reach and help people in their self-improvement path towards better habits and well-being. However, users of these apps fail to reach their objectives because they lack the motivation to attain their goals. App creators might help to support motivation by integrating human motivation theories into their designs. Still, not many apps are theory- grounded. To address this issue, we organized our research around a comprehensive human motivation theory: The Self-Determination Theory (SDT). We explored three research streams: (1) developing an artifact that maps market app features to support the SDT Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs); (2) creating an SDT inspired physical activity app that provided empirical evidence that its design supported the BPNs; (3) providing empirical evidence of an SDT inspired app design that contributes to increasing the physical activity and motivation of individuals. The results of our studies show that the SDT can inform the design of behavior change app features. Moreover, these SDT inspired features can be used to create a physical activity app that improves individuals’ intrinsic motivation and physical activity level. This thesis results have practical implications for app designers, policymakers, and health practitioners whose interest lies in creating theory-informed and effective behavior change apps. -- Les applications mobiles sont utilisées pour les objectifs de changement de comportements (par exemple, arrêter une mauvaise habitude, augmenter la fréquence d’activités physiques ou apprendre une nouvelle compétence). Comme ces applications sont omniprésentes, elles constituent d’excellents outils pour atteindre et aider les gens dans leur chemin vers de meilleures habitudes et bien-être. Cependant, les utilisateurs de ces applications ne parviennent pas à atteindre leurs objectifs car ils manquent de motivation pour y parvenir. Les créateurs d’applications pourraient contribuer à soutenir leur mo- tivation en intégrant les théories basées sur la motivation humaine dans leurs conceptions. Pourtant, peu d’applications sont fondées sur ces théories. Pour résoudre ce problème, nous avons organisé notre recherche autour d’une théorie globale de la motivation humaine : La théorie de l’autodétermination (SDT). Nous avons exploré trois axes de recherche : (1) le développement d’un artefact qui met en correspondance les caractéristiques des applications du marché avec les besoins psychologiques fondamentaux (BPN) de SDT ; (2) la création d’une application d’activité physique basée sur SDT qui fournit des preuves empiriques que sa conception soutient les BPN ; (3) donner des preuves empiriques d’une conception d’application inspirée de SDT qui contribue à augmenter l’activité physique et la motivation des individus. Les résultats de nos études montrent que SDT peut servir de base à la conception de fonctionnalités d’application pour les changements comportementaux. De plus, ces caractéristiques inspirées de SDT peuvent être utilisées pour créer une application d’activité physique qui améliore la motivation personnelle et le niveau d’activité physique des individus. Les résultats de cette thèse ont des implications pratiques pour les créateurs d’applications, les responables politiques et les médecins de la santé qui s’intéressent à la création d’applications efficaces et fondées sur cette théorie de la modification du comportement

Apps That Motivate: a Taxonomy of App Features Based on Self-Determination Theory

Nowadays, thousands of popular applications are designed to help users improve their lives through behavioural adjustment (e.g., meditate more, stay hydrated). However, our understanding of how certain design features align with constructs of behavior theories remain limited. We analyze 208 apps from the Apple App Store and identified 12 design features afforded by current tools that we classified according to the Self-Determination Theory. The taxonomy reported in this paper, we argue, provides a simple tool for designers to evaluate how specific features, and combination of features, may work to motivate users towards their desired goals. Additionally, the presented taxonomy is intended to help researchers test new interventions by discussing relevant research gaps

Self-Determination Theory in HCI : Shaping a Research Agenda

Self-determination theory (SDT) has become one of the most frequently used and well-validated theories used in HCI research, modelling the relation of basic psychological needs, intrinsic motivation, positive experience and wellbeing. This makes it a prime candidate for a ‘motor theme’ driving more integrated, systematic, theory-guided research. However, its use in HCI has remained superficial and disjointed across various application domains like games, health and wellbeing, or learning. This workshop therefore convenes researchers across HCI to co-create a research agenda on how SDT-informed HCI research can maximise its progress in the coming years

Virulent Brucella nosferati infecting Desmodus rotundus has emerging potential due to the broad foraging range of its bat host for humans and wild and domestic animals

Desmodus rotundus, vampire bats, transmit dangerous infections, and brucellosis is a hazardous zoonotic disease, two adversities that coexist in the subtropical and tropical areas of the American continent. Here, we report a 47.89% Brucella infection prevalence in a colony of vampire bats inhabiting the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica. The bacterium induced placentitis and fetal death in bats. Wide-range phenotypic and genotypic characterization placed the Brucella organisms as a new pathogenic species named Brucella nosferati sp. nov., isolated from bat tissues, including the salivary glands, suggesting feeding behavior might favor transmission to their prey. Overall analyses placed B. nosferati as the etiological agent of a reported canine brucellosis case, demonstrating its potential for infecting other hosts. To assess the putative prey hosts, we analyzed the intestinal contents of 14 infected and 23 non-infected bats by proteomics. A total of 54,508 peptides sorted into 7,203 unique peptides corresponding to 1,521 proteins were identified. Twenty-three wildlife and domestic taxa, including humans, were foraged by B. nosferati-infected D. rotundus, suggesting contact of this bacterium with a broad range of hosts. Our approach is appropriate for detecting, in a single study, the prey preferences of vampire bats in a diverse area, demonstrating its suitability for control strategies where vampire bats thrive. IMPORTANCE: The discovery that a high proportion of vampire bats in a tropical area is infected with pathogenic Brucella nosferati and that bats forage on humans and many wild and domestic animals is relevant from the perspective of emerging disease prevention. Indeed, bats harboring B. nosferati in their salivary glands may transmit this pathogenic bacterium to other hosts. This potential is not trivial since, besides the demonstrated pathogenicity, this bacterium possesses all the required virulent arsenal of dangerous Brucella organisms, including those that are zoonotic for humans. Our work has settled the basis for future surveillance actions in brucellosis control programs where these infected bats thrive. Moreover, our strategy to identify the foraging range of bats may be adapted for exploring the feeding habits of diverse animals, including arthropod vectors of infectious diseases, and therefore of interest to a broader audience besides experts on Brucella and bats. The discovery that a high proportion of vampire bats in a tropical area is infected with pathogenic Brucella nosferati and that bats forage on humans and many wild and domestic animals is relevant from the perspective of emerging disease prevention. Indeed, bats harboring B. nosferati in their salivary glands may transmit this pathogenic bacterium to other hosts. This potential is not trivial since, besides the demonstrated pathogenicity, this bacterium possesses all the required virulent arsenal of dangerous Brucella organisms, including those that are zoonotic for humans. Our work has settled the basis for future surveillance actions in brucellosis control programs where these infected bats thrive. Moreover, our strategy to identify the foraging range of bats may be adapted for exploring the feeding habits of diverse animals, including arthropod vectors of infectious diseases, and therefore of interest to a broader audience besides experts on Brucella and bats

Apps That Motivate: a Taxonomy of App Features Based on Self-Determination Theory

Nowadays, thousands of popular applications are designed to help users improve their lives through behavioural adjustment (e.g., meditate more, stay hydrated). However, our understanding of how certain design features align with constructs of behavior theories remain limited. We analyze 208 apps from the Apple App Store and identified 12 design features afforded by current tools that we classified according to the Self-Determination Theory. The taxonomy reported in this paper, we argue, provides a simple tool for designers to evaluate how specific features, and combination of features, may work to motivate users towards their desired goals. Additionally, the presented taxonomy is intended to help researchers test new interventions by discussing relevant research gaps. G. Villalobos-Zuñiga, M. Cherubini. 2020. Apps That Motivate: a Taxonomy of App Features Based on Self-Determination Theory. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS). Accepted April 2020, in press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2020.10244

T9+HUD

We introduce T9+HUD, a text entry method designed to decrease visual distraction while driving and typing. T9+HUD combines a physical 3×4 keypad on the steering wheel with a head-up-display (HUD) for projecting output on the windshield. Previous work suggests this may be a visually less demanding way to type while driving than the popular case which requires shifts of visual attention away from the road. We present a prototype design and report first results from a controlled evaluation in a driving simulator. While driving, the T9+HUD text entry rate was equal compared to a dashboard-mounted touchscreen device, but it reduced lane deviations by 70%. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between T9+HUD and baseline driving in lane-keeping performance. T9+HUD decreased glance time off road by 64% in comparison to the touchscreen QWERTY. We conclude that the data are favorable and warrant more research on attention-reducing text input methods for driving.Peer reviewe