Technology and Health

Promoting Attitude and Behavior Change

Jihyun Kim, Hayeon Song

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780128169582
• eBook ISBN: 9780128169599
• Topic: Psicología
• Subtopic: Psicología aplicada

Technology and Health: Promoting Attitude and Behavior Change examines how technology can be used to promote healthier attitudes and behavior. The book discusses technology as a tool to deliver media content. This book synthesizes theory-driven research with implications for research and practice. It covers a range of theories and technology in diverse health contexts. The book covers why and how specific technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mobile games, and social media, are effective in promoting good health. The book additionally suggests how technology should be designed, utilized, and evaluated for health interventions.- Includes new technologies to improve both mental and physical health- Examines technologies in relation to cognitive change- Discusses persuasion as a tool for behavioral and attitudinal changes- Provides theoretical frameworks for the effective use of technology

Part I

Theory and its application for health promotion

Outline

Chapter 1. The use of interactive technologies in health promotion and education: Theorizing potential interaction between health message content and message modality

Chapter 2. Digital embodiment and improving health outcomes: Healthy avatars make for healthy people

Chapter 3. Avatar embodiment experiences to enhance mental health

Chapter 4. Age-sensitive well-being support: Design of interactive technologies that modulate internal—external attentional focus for improved cognitive balance and behavioral effectiveness

Chapter 1

The use of interactive technologies in health promotion and education

Theorizing potential interaction between health message content and message modality

Kai Kuang Department of Communication Studies, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA, United States

Abstract

Health communication initiatives delivered via information and communication technologies are getting increasing attention and importance. Extant research has focused on the effectiveness of interactivity on health-related attitudinal and behavioral outcomes, while little attention has been paid to how health message content may interact with health message modality such as interactivity in generating effects. Importantly, not much is known about the psychological processes underlying such interaction effects between the message content and the level of interactivity through which the message is presented. This chapter reviews literature on the effects of interactivity and message content constructs on health-related outcomes, argues that message content needs to be considered in conjunction with message modality (i.e., interactivity), and provides a theoretical framework that seeks to explicate how interactivity may amplify or attenuate the effects of message content on health-related outcomes. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Keywords

Health promotion; Information and communication technologies; Interactivity; Learning and persuasive outcomes

Technology offers exciting opportunities for health promotion and education. In recent years, Internet-based public health intervention communication initiatives (e.g., e-Health) and mobile-health technology-based interventions (e.g., m-Health) are gaining more attention (e.g., Bennett & Glasgow, 2009; Fotheringham, Owies, Leslie, & Owen, 2000). Health promotion and education delivered via new media, or information and communication technologies (ICTs) in general, could offer highly interactive experience for target audience, with distinctive and innovative technological features on the interface through which health messages are presented (e.g., Kreps & Neuhauser, 2010, 2013; Rafaeli & Ariel, 2007; Strecher, 2007; Strecher, Greenwood, Wang, & Dumont, 1999; Street & Rimal, 1997; Sundar, 2007). Theoretical advancements as well as empirical investigations on computer-, Internet-, and mobile technology–based health communication focus extensively on the construct of interactivity (e.g., Bucy & Tao, 2007; Kim & Stout, 2010; Rafaeli & Ariel, 2007; Sundar, 2007), located at the “confluence of mass and interpersonal communication” and “poised between traditional and innovative media” (Rafaeli & Ariel, 2007 , p. 378). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of interactive interventions in health promotion and education initiatives (e.g., Foy et al., 2010; Free et al., 2013; Lustria et al., 2013). These reviews suggest that interactivity in health promotion and education has the potential to improve health outcomes as well as the effectiveness of communication. One goal of this chapter is to synthesize extant research with regard to conceptualizations and operationalizations of interactivity in health communication and review empirical studies that tested the effectiveness of these interactive health interventions.

In addition, research in health communication has theorized and tested the effects of different message content constructs (e.g., susceptibility, severity, self-efficacy, cues to action). Narrative and systematic reviews within different theoretical frameworks have also been conducted. These reviews synthesize the effects of different health messages and appeals on health outcomes and perceived message effectiveness (e.g., fear appeals, Witte & Allen, 2000; the extended parallel process model, Maloney, Lapinski, & Witte, 2011; the health belief model, Carpenter, 2010; the risk information seeking and processing model, Yang, Aloe, & Feeley, 2014). With the increasing popularity of health communication initiatives delivered via interactive technologies, it is important to consider these health message content constructs together with the key feature of interactivity in mediated health communication initiatives. Therefore, another goal of this chapter is to review literature on message content constructs and present an initial theorization of how message content constructs may influence health behaviors and message perceptions together with interactivity. In the following sections, literature on both interactivity and health message effects is reviewed.

Defining interactivity

Conceptualizations and operationalizations of interactivity

As a defining feature of online technologies and a key variable in understanding the uses and effects of media technologies (especially new media), interactivity has distinct conceptualizations adopted by different research traditions (e.g., Heeter, 1989; Jankowski & Hanssen, 1996; Rafaeli, 1988; Sundar, Kalyanaraman, & Brown, 2003; Walther, Pingree, Hawkins, & Buller, 2005). Most of the definitions in the literature focus on an exchange of information, processes of reciprocal communication, responsiveness, and some variation on user control (e.g., Walther et al., 2005). For example, earlier interactivity researchers define interactivity as existing when users have the potential to be not only the recipients but also the sources of content; in addition, interactivity relates to the interaction that takes place on a medium (December, 1996). This perspective focuses on processes of reciprocal influence between the users and the medium (Pavlik, 1996).

In a similar vein, interactivity can refer to the proportion of user contribution to existing activity on the site; that is, “the ratio of user activity to system activity” (Paisley, 1983, p. 155). ¹ Heeter (1989) introduces six dimensions of media interactivity, including available choice, user effort, the extent to which the medium is responsive, system use monitoring, contributing information, and whether the medium facilitates interpersonal communication. These six dimensions are closely related to the technological aspects of the medium that enable interactivity. For example, a medium that allows users to leave comments and engage in live chat will be considered having a higher level of interactivity compared to a medium that only allows user to receive information (but not contribute information). Following this conceptualization, the corresponding operationalization of interactivity focuses on the technological aspects of the interactive features on the medium, including the number of functional characteristics such as hyperlinks and e-mail links, comment boxes, feedback forms, and chat rooms (e.g., Kiousis, 2002; Massey & Levy, 1999).

Further problematizing the construct of interactivity from a dichotomous state to a more sophisticated conceptualization, Steuer (1992) defines interactivity as related to how much a medium allows users to modify “the form and content of a mediated environment in real time” (p. 84). Other conceptualizations highlighted how much users maintain control in the process of communication. For example, scholars like Jensen (1998) and Newman (1991) define interactivity as the extent of user control afforded by the medium, specifically, the “potential ability to let the user exert an influence on the content and/or form of the mediated communication” (Jensen, 1998, p. 201). William, Rice, and Rogers (1988) define interactivity as the extent to which users maintain control and exchange roles in the process of communication. In Bucy and Tao's (2007) mediated moderation model of interactivity, the scholars extend the focus on the processes of reciprocal communication and exchange of information between the users and the medium or between users through technology. They conceptualize interactivity as technological attributes that enable such reciprocity and exchange and afford interaction. The focus on reciprocity in the conceptualization of interactivity is commonly adopted in research on online health communities. For example, in their investigation of interactivity in health support group websites, Harrison, Barlowa, and Williams (2007) conceptualize interactivity as the elements of the site that allow users to participate in online communities and interact with other users. In fact, interactivity has been identified as one of the key attributes of online support groups (Walther et al., 2005).

While some conceptual...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Biographies
• Foreword
• Preface
• Part I. Theory and its application for health promotion
• Part II. VR + AR: Technology for health in virtual world
• Part III. MHealth: Mobile technology for health
• Part IV. Social media: Networked technology for health
• Part V. How technology changes our mind and behavior
• Index