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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #335770
Title: The active video games' narrative impact on children's physical activities

Author
item LU, AMY - Northeastern University
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item HONG, S - Ohio University
item BUDAY, RICHARD - Archimage, Inc
item Thompson, Deborah - Debbe
item BELTRAN, ALICIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item DADABHOY, HAFZA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item CHEN, TZU - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2016
Publication Date: 10/29/2016
Citation: Lu, A.S., Baranowski, T., Hong, S.L., Buday, R., Thompson, D.J., Beltran, A., Dadabhoy, H., Chen, T.A. 2016. The active video games' narrative impact on children's physical activities [abstract]. Society for Research in Child Development Special Topic Meeting: Technology and Media in Children's Development, October 27-30, 2016; Irvine, CA. Symposium 3-012.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Active video games (AVGs) capable of inducing physical activity offer an innovative approach to combating childhood obesity. Unfortunately, children's AVG game play decreases quickly, underscoring the need to identify novel methods for player engagement. Narratives have been demonstrated to influence behaviors. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that a narrative would motivate increased AVG play, though a feasibility study that investigated the motivational effect of adding a previously developed narrative cutscene to an originally nonnarrative AVG, Nintendo Wii Sports Resort: Swordplay Showdown. A total of 40 overweight and obese 8- to 11-year-olds equally divided by sex played the AVG. Half (n=20) were randomly assigned to a narrative group that watched the narrative cutscene before game play. The other half played the game without watching it. Children in the narrative group had significantly (P<.05) more steps per 10-second period (mean 3.2, SD 0.7) and overall (mean 523, SD 203) during game play compared with the nonnarrative group (10-second period: mean 2.7, SD 0.7; overall: mean 366, SD 172). The AVG with narrative induced increased physical activity. Additional research is needed to understand the mechanisms through which narrative increases physical activity during AVG game play.