Emerging technology as an essential factor in changing lifestyles and reshaping exercise behaviour in Taiwan

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced various aspects of people’s lives; for instance, restrictions during the pandemic have forced people to think about sports participation and physical activity in new ways. There has been growing interest in technological interventions to support exercise-related behavioural changes in daily life; in particular, exergames designed to induce full-body movement offer alternatives to physical activity. Since Taiwan has a high rate of ownership of exergame-related equipment, it is worth examining players’ perceptions of using exergames for exercise. This study utilised a Means-End Chain analysis with in-depth laddering interviews to investigate Taiwanese perceptions of certain attributes of exergames as most likely to produce desired consequences in accordance with their values. The findings provide researchers and practitioners interested in the use of technology for exercise with valuable implications of Means-End Chain theory and structuration theory and suggestions for exergame design and promotion.