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BackgroundSerious games for health have been gaining in popularity among scholars and practitioners. However, there remain a few questions to be addressed. ObjectiveThis study tests the effects of a serious game and fear appeals on smoking-related outcomes. More specifically, this research aims to understand how serious games function as a more effective vehicle for a health campaign than a traditional medium, such as a print-based pamphlet. Further, while serious games utilize a variety of persuasive strategies in the game’s content, it is not clear whether fear appeals, which are widely used persuasive-message strategies for health, can be an effective strategy in serious games. Thus, we are testing the effect of fear appeals in a serious game. MethodsWe created a computer game and a print brochure to educate participants about the risks of smoking. More specifically, a flash-based single-player game was developed in which players were asked to avoid cigarettes in the gameplay context. We also developed an online brochure based on existing smoking-related brochures at a university health center; antismoking messages on the computer game and in the brochure were comparable. Then, an experiment using a 2 (media type: game vs. print) x 2 (fearful image: fear vs. no-fear) between-subjects design was conducted. The study recruitment was announced to undergraduate students enrolled in a large, public Midwestern university in the United States. After a screening test, a total of 72 smokers, who reported smoking in the past 30 days, participated in the experiment. ResultsOverall, gameplay, when compared to print-based pamphlets, had greater impacts on attitudes toward smoking and the intention to quit smoking. Further, the game’s persuasive effects were especially pronounced when messages contained fear appeals. When fearful images were presented, participants in the game condition reported significantly more negative attitudes toward social smoking than those in the print condition [F(1,67)=7.28; P=.009; ηp2=0.10]. However, in the no-fear condition, there was no significant difference between the conditions [F(1,67)=0.25; P=.620]. Similarly, the intention to quit smoking [F(1,67)=4.64; P=.035; ηp2=0.07] and susceptibility [F(1,67)=6.92; P=.011; ηp2=0.09] were also significantly different between the conditions, but only when fear appeals were used. ConclusionsThis study extends fear appeal research by investigating the effects of different media types. It offers empirical evidence that a serious game can be an effective vehicle for fear appeals.

In the emergent field of digital therapeutics (DTx), this study examines the impact of virtual agent design on usability and therapeutic outcomes. Emphasizing the virtual agent's role, our research highlights a marked therapeutic effect tied to the DTx's developed parameters. Continuous usage, influenced by perceived usefulness, user attitudes, and intrinsic enjoyment, emerges as a crucial determinant for desired outcomes. The study finds anthropomorphism and agent likeability as pivotal factors in enhancing user experience and promoting sustained DTx use. Although focusing on mental health, particularly depression, the implications suggest varied results across DTx types. Given these insights, our findings advocate for a deeper exploration into agent-centric DTx designs, particularly in mental health applications. The nuances of user engagement with these therapeutic tools, especially in treating conditions like depression, demonstrate a diverse range of effects and underscore the importance of personalized approaches in digital therapeutics. This study's outcomes not only shed light on the significant role of virtual agents but also call for continuous innovation and research in this evolving domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests the effect of long-term artificial development of a robot on users' feelings of social presence and social responses toward the robot. The study is a 2 (developmental capability: developmental versus fully matured) x 2 (number of participants: individual versus group) between-subjects experiment (N = 40) in which participants interact with Sony's robot dog, AIBO, for a month. The results showed that the developmental capability factor had significant positive impacts on (a) perceptions of AIBO as a lifelike creature, (b) feelings of social presence, and (c) social responses toward AIBO. The number of participants factor, however, affected only the parasocial relationship and the buying intention variables. No interaction between the two factors was found. The results of a series of path analyses showed that feelings of social presence mediated participants' social responses toward AIBO. We discuss implications of the current study on human-robot interaction, the computers are social actors (CASA) paradigm, and the study of (tele)presence.

Trust plays an essential role in the interaction between humans and artificial intelligence (AI). To promote trust in AI, information about the AI's performance should be communicated well to the users. Accordingly, this paper investigates how information about AI performance should be presented, focusing on message framing and the ownership of decisions. A 2 (ownership: no ownership vs. ownership) × 3 (message framing: no information vs. negative information vs. positive information) between-subjects experiment was conducted (N = 120). Participants were asked to choose items to help them survive in the desert, supported by an AI decision. The results showed that participants without decision ownership perceived higher trust than those with decision ownership. Also, trust was perceived to be higher when participants were not given performance information than when they were. The results indicate the importance of carefully communicating with AI. The implications of this study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2010.01480.x Byline: Wan-Ying Lin (1), Hayeon Song (2), Sandra Ball-Rokeach (3) Abstract: This study seeks to examine the ways in which transnational life is lived at different 'local' levels. In particular, we ask: What are some of the important aspects of immigrants' life that are enacted across borders? To what extent are ethnic media that serve the immigrant population connected to home countries in content and operation? To what extent does transnational news have local and global implications? Multiple methods are employed in this study, including a telephone survey of immigrant communities, interviews with media producers and senior editors, and a content analysis of ethnic newspapers. This study shows that transnational activities go beyond economics to include more social aspects and communication practices in immigrants' everyday lives. Author Affiliation: (1)Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (2)Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA (3)Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0281, USA Article note: Wan-Ying Lin; e-mail: wanying@cityu.edu.hk

Various interventions have been suggested to aid in smoking cessation. However, little is known about the effects of message framing in narratives embedded in serious games. This study compares when an individual experiences unfortunate events from smoking (i.e., loss frame) versus fortunate results benefited from smoking cessation (i.e., gain frame) in a computer game through a model (i.e., virtual self-modeling) that looks like oneself or a stranger. An experiment (N = 64) using a 2 (Message framing: Gain vs. Loss) x 2 (Modeling: Self vs. Other) between-subjects design was conducted using an anti-smoking game. Results show that the gain frame induces stronger perceived susceptibility compared to the loss frame, and self-modeling is more effective than other-modeling. Results further demonstrate that the virtual misfortune experienced through one's own face, compared to someone else's face, is significantly more likely to increase one's susceptibility to the negative consequences of smoking. The study also finds a significant mediating role of identification between framing and susceptibility. Overall, by demonstrating the effectiveness of the self-modeling and gain-framed messages in gameplay, the present investigation provides meaningful contributions to the use of technology for effective health communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]