Space War: Investigating the Impact of a Loss Aversion Strategy and Personality Traits in a VR Rowing Exergame
Pages 130 - 139
Abstract
Loss aversion is a powerful tool used in commercial games to increase revenue. This is achieved by letting players obtain items of value, e.g., special abilities, which are eventually lost unless the player performs a certain desired behaviour such as viewing advertisements or doing in-game purchases. The technique is based on the observation that the fear of loosing is a stronger motivator than the possibility of winning. So far little is known to what extend loss aversion can be used to increase motivation and physical activity in an exergame, and whether this depends on personality types. We found that the loss aversion strategy increased players’ physical activity and motivation but also increased pressure. Participants with higher openness were more engaged, and those with higher neuroticism felt more pressured. Emotionally stable individuals were receptive to the loss aversion strategy, and participants with higher conscientiousness experienced less pressure. Individuals with higher agreeableness showed greater interest in the loss aversion version. Our findings suggest that loss aversion can increase users’ motivation in exergames, but can have the opposite effect for some personality types. We conclude that ideally an exergame should use personalised motivation strategies.
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Index Terms
- Space War: Investigating the Impact of a Loss Aversion Strategy and Personality Traits in a VR Rowing Exergame
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