Exergame Play Research Articles

EXERGAMING IMPROVES SELF-EFFICACY IN SUSTAINING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG SEDENTARY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

This research contrasts the physical activity-related self-efficacy before and after exergame play and the gender-wise expectancy related to beliefs and task values. Sedentary undergraduates (n=102; 51 males, 51 females) were recruited from a local university in Kota Bharu, Kelantan using Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Participants completed questionnaires assessing their self-efficacy, expectancy related beliefs, subjective task values and intention to participate in exergame play in the future. After exergame play, participants had a significantly higher degree of self-efficacy than before exergame play (mean score: before 27.1 ± 4.33 vs. after 32.2 ± 4.51; p < 0.001). Their belief in their ability to exercise on a regular basis varied considerably across gender, with higher values reported in male than in female participants (mean difference= 0.84, p=0.02). Other components, such as expectancy-related beliefs, task values, and intentions, were comparable between gender. Besides, participants also considered exergaming to be more attractive and stimulating than traditional physical exercise, thereby presenting greater beliefs in capability and greater desire to engage in exergaming in the future. The result suggests that exergame play can be used as an innovative approach to increase the level of physical activity among sedentary university students.

Role of Exergame Play on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Body Composition in Overweight and Obese Children

Background: Exergaming is an ideal vehicle for promoting regular physical activity among children who may be reluctant to participate in traditional types of exercise. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of six weeks of exergaming and traditional video gaming on body composition and cardiovascular fitness variables among overweight and obese children. Methods: Thirty-one overweight and obese children (11.40 ± 0.86 years) were recruited from three primary schools in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Participants were assigned to either an exergaming group (n = 11), traditional gaming group (n = 10) or control group (n = 10). Body composition variables (body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) and cardiovascular fitness variables (resting heart rate (RHR), resting systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak)) were measured. A paired sample t-test was used to determine changes from baseline to post-assessment within each group. Results: No significant improvements were observed in BMI percentile among the exergaming group (P = 0.25), traditional gaming group (P = 0.06) and control group (P = 0.25). Waist-to-hip ratio significantly decreased following exergaming (P = 0.050), but not following traditional gaming (P = 0.060) and in control group (P = 0.200). Significant improvement in RHR was found in the exergaming group (P = 0.010), but none in the traditional gaming group (P = 0.280) and control group (P = 0.720). No significant improvements were noted in resting SBP following exergaming (P = 0.790), traditional video gaming (P = 0.730) and in the control group (P = 0.610). Diastolic blood pressure did not significantly improve in the exergaming group (P = 0.070), traditional video gaming group (P = 0.360) or control group (P = 0.100). Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) did not significantly improve in the exergaming group (P = 0.830), traditional gaming group (P = 0.710) or control group (P = 0.450). Conclusions: Findings indicate that six weeks of exergaming induced favorable changes in waist-to-hip ratio and RHR among overweight and obese children. Thereby demonstrating that non-traditional modes of exercise such as exergaming can be used as an alternative to traditional modes of exercise to induce somebody composition and cardiovascular changes.

Exergaming improves self-efficacy in sustaining physical activity among sedentary university students

This research contrasts the physical activity-related self-efficacy before and after exergame play and the gender-wise expectancy related to beliefs and task values. Sedentary undergraduates (n=102; 51 males, 51 females) were recruited from a local university in Kota Bharu, Kelantan using Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Participants completed questionnaires assessing their self-efficacy, expectancy related beliefs, subjective task values and intention to participate in exergame play in the future. After exergame play, participants had a significantly higher degree of self-efficacy than before exergame play (mean score: before 27.1 ± 4.33 vs. after 32.2 ± 4.51; p < 0.001). Their belief in their ability to exercise on a regular basis varied considerably across gender, with higher values reported in male than in female participants (mean difference= 0.84, p=0.02). Other components, such as expectancy-related beliefs, task values, and intentions, were comparable between gender. Besides, participants also considered exergaming to be more attractive and stimulating than traditional physical exercise, thereby presenting greater beliefs in capability and greater desire to engage in exergaming in the future. The result suggests that exergame play can be used as an innovative approach to increase the level of physical activity among sedentary university students.

VO2, Liking, and Relative Reinforcing Value of Cooperative and Competitive Exergame Play in Young Children

VO2, Liking, and Relative Reinforcing Value of Cooperative and Competitive Exergame Play in Young Children

Motivation for Exergame Play Inventory: Construct validity and relationship to game play

The purpose of this study was to develop the Motivation for Exergame Play Inventory (MEPI) as a publicly available and validated measure of psychological and motivational constructs specific to increase the duration of exergame play. This study is an ancillary analysis of data from a randomized trial of sixty-one adolescents assigned to one of four exergames to play in their home for 4 weeks. Parents provided baseline demographic information. Adolescents completed the MEPI at the end of week 1 and completed game logs to record exergame play over the four weeks. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to determine the number of distinct composite factors within the MEPI. Cronbach’s alpha assessed internal consistency of each resulting factor. Separate regression models were used to examine the association of each factor with total game play over 4 weeks. Twenty-two of 28 items were retained in the MEPI to measure five distinct constructs of motivation: sensory immersion/flow, user control, goals of the game, performance feedback, and challenge/difficulty. Sensory immersion/flow and user control were each significantly associated with total game play. Evidence of construct validity for the MEPI was demonstrated. The MEPI appears to be a promising tool to assess players’ motivation for exergaming, an important contributor to sustained physically active game play.

The Use of Competition to Elicit Vigorous Intensity Physical Activity During Children's Exergame Play

The Use of Competition to Elicit Vigorous Intensity Physical Activity During Children's Exergame Play

The Effect Of Goal Structure On Vo2 And Motivation In 6-10 Year Old Children During Exergame Play

Previous research has examined contexts which may promote playing physically interactive video games (exergames) in place of traditional, sedentary video games in children. In one such study the presence of a friend did not increase children’s motivation to play an exergame versus a sedentary alternative. This lack of an effect may have been due to the competitive goal structure of the exergame studied. Children may prefer a cooperative game structure when playing with a friend. PURPOSE: To examine physiologic response and relative reinforcing value (RRV, i.e., motivation) for playing an exergame with a friend under two different goal structures: competitive and cooperative. METHODS: Participants (N = 7, 7.9 ± 1.5 years old) and a same-sex friend each completed three, 10-minute conditions: supine rest, competitive, and cooperative game play. During competitive game play, participants played Nintendo Wii Tennis against their friend. During the cooperative condition, subjects and their friend played together against a computer avatar. During each 10 minute session oxygen consumption (VO ml[BULLET OPERATOR]kg-1[BULLET OPERATOR]min-1) was recorded and children reported their liking, via visual analog scale, for that condition. After completing all three conditions, children completed an RRV computer task to assess their motivation to play the competitive versus cooperative goal structures. During the task children performed work (button presses) to gain access to competitive play, cooperative play or a combination of the two. The output maximum (Omax) or maximum amount of work (presses) for each goal structure was used as the measure of RRV. RESULTS: VO2 was significantly (p ≤ 0.009) greater for cooperative (8.88 ± 3.29 ml[BULLET OPERATOR]kg-1[BULLET OPERATOR]min-1) and competitive (10.24 ± 3.24 ml[BULLET OPERATOR]kg-1[BULLET OPERATOR]min-1) game play than the resting condition (5.75 ± 1.59ml[BULLET OPERATOR]kg-1[BULLET OPERATOR]min-1). Liking was also significantly (p ≤ 0.004) greater for cooperative (8.92 ± 2.03 cm) and competitive (8.59 ± 2.39 cm) game play than rest (3.07 ± 2.59 cm). There were no differences (p > 0.05) between cooperative and competitive game play for: VO2, liking, or Omax. CONCLUSION: In children, VO2 and liking were both greater during exergame play versus the resting condition. However, motivation to play the competitive and cooperative game structures was not significantly different.

Predictors of stationary cycling exergame use among inactive children in the family home

ObjectivesExergames may be one viable way to increase child physical activity, but investigation of long term motivation, and prediction of adherence has seen little research attention. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of an exergame intervention (exergame bike, standard bike) among children aged 10–14 years on motivational variables (self-determination theory, theory of planned behavior) and to explore whether these variables could predict use of the equipment across three months. DesignRandomized controlled trial. Method: Seventy-three insufficiently active children were recruited through advertisements within the community/schools and randomized to either an exergame condition (n = 39) or a standard bike condition (n = 34). Weekly bike use was recorded in a log-book and motivational variables were assessed after a familiarization session and at six weeks. ResultsExposure to exergames conferred higher affective and instrumental attitudes, perceived behavioral control, intention, and intrinsic motivation compared to the comparison condition, but this difference was not present by the six-week point of the trial. Children who had higher intention to use the bikes and extrinsic regulation were more likely to use the bikes from six weeks to three months, but no assessed psychological variable could account for use during the first six weeks. ConclusionsSingle-exposure research designs may not accurately reflect the motivations for longer term exergame play. Further, parent consumers of exercise equipment for the family home may benefit from considering how much their children would enjoy using the equipment after repeated exposures.

Development of A Teen-Focused Exergame.

Exergames require body movement to play and may be an effective method for enhancing teen physical activity (PA). However, results have been mixed. Innovative methods are needed to develop Exergames that increase and maintain PA. Self-representational avatars, or avatars created from a digital image of an individual, may increase PA (e.g., intensity, duration) during Exergame play. This article addresses this novel idea by describing the development of an Exergame played with a self-representational avatar. Twelve- to 14-year-olds, stratified by gender, body mass index, and PA, were invited to participate in two rounds of data collection. Each round consisted of an online survey, followed by a telephone interview to ensure comprehension of survey responses. After the first round, an Exergame prototype and the system for creating the self-representational avatar were created. A second round of data was collected to obtain information with which to create a fully functional Exergame and the avatar creation system. Forty-eight teens were recruited. The sample was multi-ethnic (41.7% White, 37.5% Black, 18.8% Hispanic, 2.1% Mixed/Other). Complete data were obtained on 48 teens in the first round of data collection and on 43 teens in the second round. Teens provided important information regarding preferences and expectations. Gender similarities and differences were observed. This research contributes to the body of knowledge regarding how to design an appealing Exergame for teens navigated by a self-representational avatar.

Exergaming and obesity in youth: current perspectives.

Although exergaming has been used as a physical activity modality among various populations, the evidence regarding its effectiveness on health-related outcomes in overweight/obese individuals remains unclear. The current study systematically reviewed literature and summarized findings of exergame-based interventions in overweight/obese populations with the goal of clarifying the current perspectives on exergaming and obesity. The initial search yielded 202 articles from six databases; 12 studies were included after evaluating for inclusion criteria and removing duplicates. Among these studies, seven were randomized controlled trials, two were control trials, and three were comparison studies. Overall, exergaming has the potential to attenuate weight gain and shows promise when used for physical activity and physical fitness promotion. Further, exergame play is positively associated with psychological well-being, but its effects on physiological outcomes are inconclusive. Finally, effects of exergaming on energy intake are not clear. Existing evidence supports that exergaming may elicit some health benefits in people who are overweight or/and obese. The limited number of available randomized controlled trials, however, restrict the ability to draw a conclusion that exergaming can trigger a change in all health-related outcomes. More research is warranted to make definitive conclusions regarding the effects of exergaming on health-related outcomes in such populations.

Understanding the Relationship Between Exergame Play Experiences, Enjoyment, and Intentions for Continued Play.

Although it is generally understood that exergames can be beneficial, more research is needed to understand how in-game experiences influence enjoyment and the likelihood for continued use of these types of games. Therefore, the objective of this research is to understand how player performance in an exergame affects psychological responses (autonomy, competence, and presence), enjoyment of the experience, and likelihood for future play. Sixty-two college students (mean age, 20.32 years) participated in an experiment where they played a challenge event on the "Biggest Loser" exergame for the Nintendo (Kyoto, Japan) Wii™ console. Participants were given up to two chances to see if they could "win" the challenge event. A lab assistant recorded player performance for each session in minutes and seconds (range, 30 seconds-10 minutes). The attempt in which the participant achieved the greatest amount of time playing was used as a measure of player performance. After playing, subjects filled out a questionnaire with items pertaining to enjoyment, competence, autonomy, presence, and future intentions for continued use of the exergame. The results suggest that player achievement (longer time spent playing) directly and indirectly predicts feelings of autonomy, competence, presence, enjoyment, and future intentions to play. Individuals who performed better felt more autonomous and experienced greater presence, leading to greater enjoyment. Enjoyment and presence were found to mediate the relationship between player performance and future intentions to play an exergame. This study suggests that performance in exergames is related to psychological experiences that fuel enjoyment and the likelihood for future exergame use. The theoretical and practical significances of these findings are discussed, as well as future research involving exergames.

Multi-Scale Entropy Analysis of Body Sway for Investigating Balance Ability During Exergame Play Under Different Parameter Settings

The goal of this study was to investigate the parameters affecting exergame performance using multi-scale entropy analysis, with the aim of informing the design of exergames for personalized balance training. Test subjects’ center of pressure (COP) displacement data were recorded during exergame play to examine their balance ability at varying difficulty levels of a balance-based exergame; the results of a multi-scale entropy-based analysis were then compared to traditional COP indicators. For games involving static posture frames, variation in posture frame travel time was found to significantly affect the complexity of both the anterior-posterior (MSE-AP) and medio-lateral (MSE-ML) components of balancing movements. However, in games involving dynamic posture frames, only MSE-AP was found to be sensitive to the variation of parameters, namely foot-lifting speed. Findings were comparable to the COP data published by Sun et al., indicating that the use of complexity data is a feasible means of distinguishing between different parameter sets and of understanding how human design considerations must be taken into account in exergame development. Not only can this method be used as another assessment index in the future, it can also be used in the optimization of parameters within the virtual environments of exergames.

The Relationship Between Body Weight, BMI, and Exercise Intensity During Exergame Play

Exergaming is an effective form of non-traditional exercise. Many exercisers want to enhance their fitness by exercising at higher intensity. It has not been known whether larger exergame players would play with greater exercise intensity (EI) due to the increased work involved in moving their greater mass. We hypothesized that body weight (Wt) would be a better predictor (more often correlated) of EI [measured in Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)] than body mass index (BMI) as some with greater BMI would possibly have more difficulty performing exergaming movements due to being overweight or possibly having lower fitness levels. PURPOSE: The purpose is to determine whether an individual’s Wt or BMI is more closely correlated with EI while exergaming. METHODS: Twelve video games were played on three exergame consoles with an average of 27 subjects playing each game. Each subject played for 30 minutes at the intensity level of their choice. Accelerometer armbands were used to estimate EI in METs. Results were analyzed by using a Pearson’s Correlation test. RESULTS:Table: No title available.CONCLUSIONS: Neither Wt nor BMI were often correlated with EI while exergaming. All correlations that did exist between Wt or BMI and METS were negative meaning that the greater the Wt or BMI the lower the EI of the subject. The converse was true where the correlation was significant. Overweight players may have found many of the full-body movements such as squatting, jumping, or lunging more difficult to complete properly resulting in lower EI. This could be the reason BMI was more negatively correlated with EI than Wt since a player who is heavy may not necessarily be overweight.

Cultivating Engagement and Enjoyment in Exergames Using Feedback, Challenge, and Rewards

This article reviews theoretical and empirical evidence related to three mechanisms for encouraging enjoyment during exergame play: Feedback, challenge, and rewards. A literature search and narrative review were conducted. Feedback is found in nearly all exergames, and richer, more in-depth feedback is associated with increased activity. Challenge is a vital component of any videogame, and exergames include physical as well as cognitive challenges. Flow states have traditionally been conceptualized as occurring when an optimal match between player skills and game challenge occurs. However, failure and retrial are necessary for feelings of overall satisfaction and fun, despite not necessarily being ideally fun or satisfying themselves. Rewards are a more complicated issue, with significant theoretical and empirical evidence suggesting positive and negative effects of reward systems. How rewards are integrated into the mechanics and storyline of the game likely impacts how they are perceived and, thus, their effectiveness. Finally, integration of these mechanisms into exergames requires specific attention to both cognitive and physical implementations. Movements that are not themselves enjoyable or engaging may lead to cheating and lower energy expenditure. Feedback, challenge, and rewards are promising mechanisms by which exergames could become more enjoyable. How these concepts are operationalized can affect physical and psychological reactions to exergames. Attention to these concepts in future exergame development and implementation would benefit theory, research, and practice.

The Efficacy of Exergames Played Proximally and Over the Internet on Cognitive Functioning for Online Physical Education

Exergames (active video games that require kinesthetic movement) played in proximity to other players or against a gaming machine have been linked to positive increases in cognitive functioning. This study tested to see if remote exergame play over the Internet had an impact similar to exergames that are played in proximity. The study shows that remote exergaming can result in positive gains in cognitive functioning.

Virtual vs. real body in exergames: Reducing social physique anxiety in exercise experiences

Research indicates that people with body image dissatisfaction (BID) are not benefited from exercising in group contexts. The current study tested whether exercise video games (exergames) can provide unique opportunities for exercise interventions through the use of avatars. An experiment was conducted using a 2 (BID: High vs. Low)×2 (Exercise context: Solitary vs. Group) between-subjects design. Results demonstrated that individuals with high BID reported similar or more favorable exergame experiences compared to individuals with low BID. Further, individuals’ social physique anxiety was significantly reduced during exergame play. Self-presence mediated the relationship between exercise context and exergame experiences.

Effects of Exergame Play on EF in Children and Adolescents at a Summer Camp for Low Income Youth.

Past research has suggested exergame play improves adolescents’ executive function (EF) skills. EF change in 70 African American and Hispanic/Latino 10- to 16-year-olds participating in an inner-city summer camp was assessed following five 30-minute exergame play sessions. Children’s EF scores improved from pre- to posttest, and factors related to this change were examined. The number of exergame sessions the participants attended predicted posttest scores. In addition, level of achievement during game play was related to EF scores. Finally, the children’s level of enjoyment was not related to EF; however, frustration and boredom during game play were negatively related to EF. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the relationship between exergame play and cognitive benefits for adolescent players.

Active video games and physical activity recommendations: A comparison of the Gamercize Stepper, XBOX Kinect and XaviX J-Mat

The current study was designed to evaluate the intensity levels of three exergames and determine the association with physical activity recommendations that correspond to specific outcomes. The variation in cardiovascular responses between the three exergames was also examined. We employed a cross-sectional laboratory design. We recruited 18 girls to participate in a peak VO2 test and to play Gamercize, Kinect River Rush, XaviX J-Mat at three separate exergaming sessions. Linear regression equations of heart rate and percentage of peak VO2 were calculated for each participant to determine the intensity of exergame play. Differences in intensity between the three exergames and time spent in the recommended moderate (heart rate at ≥ 55% peak VO2) and vigorous (heart rate at ≥ 75% peak VO2) intensity levels were analyzed. We calculated the coefficient of variation for the mean heart rate to determine the difference in variance in heart rate values for the three exergames. When playing Gamercize and Kinect the girls did not play at recommended moderate or vigorous levels. Although the girls did not play at vigorous levels when playing XaviX J-Mat, our results showed that when playing XaviX J-Mat they did play at moderate intensity levels. No significant differences in the coefficient of variation between the three exergames were apparent. If active gaming is to be used to increase physical activity levels then individual differences in levels of exertion and specific activity recommendations need to be taken into consideration.

Gaming, Adiposity, and Obesogenic Behaviors Among Children.

Videogames in general have been maligned for causing obesity because of their inherent sedentariness, whereas exergames have been both maligned for requiring low levels of activity and extolled for requiring physical activity to move game play along. The intensity and duration of physical activity resulting from exergame play have shown varying results, and they have been explored for use in obesity treatment and prevention, primarily among children. Other videogames have been developed and tested to help children change their diet and physical activity practices with various outcomes. As a field of inquiry, we are in the earliest stages of understanding how, or under what circumstances, videogames can influence all these behavioral and health outcomes. To deal with these complexities, we have assembled a group of investigators who have made important, but diverse, contributions to this research agenda and asked them to address five key child obesity-related issues in a Roundtable format. Brief biosketches are presented at the end of this article.

The Wii Club: Gaming for Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Youth

Our 20-week "Wii Club" intervention for overweight and obese adolescents demonstrated weight loss, increased self-efficacy, and improved peer support from cooperative exergame play. Videogames that require motor activity in a social context may be a fun, effective tool to promote healthy weight and physical activity among youth.