Mobile Game App Research Articles

A Mobile Gaming App to Train Teenage Mothers on Appropriate Child Feeding Practices: Development and Validation Study.

Undernutrition is an underlying factor in nearly 50% of 1 million estimated annual deaths among Nigerian children aged <5 years. Inappropriate maternal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are basic contributors to child undernutrition. Teenage motherhood exacerbates the problem of inadequate child feeding. One possible intervention method to improve IYCF knowledge and practices of teenage mothers is the use of mobile gaming technologies. Despite extreme poverty in low- and middle-income countries, a ubiquity of mobile phone networks exists. This study aims to develop and validate a mobile gaming app, called BabyThrive, to train Nigerian teenage mothers on appropriate IYCF practices. To identify gaps in current IYCF practices in northern Nigeria, we conducted an extensive search of the literature and held 2 focus group interviews with 16 teenage mothers with low-income status. An initial app content design was then created, and content validity was established by 10 nutrition experts. Next, we developed an app prototype, which was assessed for quality by 7 nutrition and mobile gaming experts and evaluated for usability by 90 teenage mothers from rural areas in Abuja, the country's capital. The final app, BabyThrive, is a 2D mobile game that is fully functional offline and available in English as well as Hausa, which is commonly spoken in northern Nigeria. The efficacy of the BabyThrive app was assessed using IYCF knowledge scores obtained from the administration of the validated Teen Moms Child Feeding Questionnaire for Sub-Saharan Africa. Construct validity was established via crossover design by comparing the total IYCF knowledge scores of the teenage mothers obtained after a verbal training program and BabyThrive app use. Large proportions of the study participants were married (53/90, 59%) and had no personal income (63/90, 70%). The mean quality rating for the BabyThrive app was 4.3 (SD 0.39) out of 5.0. High levels (>80%) of usability and user satisfaction were documented. Knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding (P<.001) and total knowledge scores (P=.002) were significantly higher in the BabyThrive group than in the verbal training group. The IYCF knowledge scores obtained from both groups showed coherence, with a statistically significant Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.50 (P<.001). This research developed and validated a novel, offline mobile gaming app. It will be an easy, effective, and acceptable method to disseminate critical knowledge on IYCF practices to teenage mothers in rural Nigeria.

LapBot-Safe Chole: validation of an artificial intelligence-powered mobile game app to teach safe cholecystectomy.

Gaming can serve as an educational tool to allow trainees to practice surgical decision-making in a low-stakes environment. LapBot is a novel free interactive mobile game application that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide players with feedback on safe dissection during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). This study aims to provide validity evidence for this mobile game. Trainees and surgeons participated by downloading and playing LapBot on their smartphone. Players were presented with intraoperative LC scenes and required to locate their preferred location of dissection of the hepatocystic triangle. They received immediate accuracy scores and personalized feedback using an AI algorithm ("GoNoGoNet") that identifies safe/dangerous zones of dissection. Player scores were assessed globally and across training experience using non-parametric ANOVA. Three-month questionnaires were administered to assess the educational value of LapBot. A total of 903 participants from 64 countries played LapBot. As game difficulty increased, average scores (p < 0.0001) and confidence levels (p < 0.0001) decreased significantly. Scores were significantly positively correlated with players' case volume (p = 0.0002) and training level (p = 0.0003). Most agreed that LapBot should be incorporated as an adjunct into training programs (64.1%), as it improved their ability to reflect critically on feedback they receive during LC (47.5%) or while watching others perform LC (57.5%). Serious games, such as LapBot, can be effective educational tools for deliberate practice and surgical coaching by promoting learner engagement and experiential learning. Our study demonstrates that players' scores were correlated to their level of expertise, and that after playing the game, most players perceived a significant educational value.

More Than a Game: Building a Workplace Culture of Positivity and Belonging Among Nurses.

This performance improvement project introduced a mobile social gaming app for sharing positive feedback from patients and coworkers with nurses. After deployment, the app supported creating improvements as a supportive structure for engaging nurses in peer recognition to build a workplace culture of positivity and belonging. The authors discuss findings from the app's adoption and use among nurses and offer recommendations for leaders.

The relationship between object-based spatial ability and virtual navigation performance

Spatial navigation is a multi-faceted behaviour drawing on many different aspects of cognition. Visuospatial abilities, such as mental rotation and visuospatial working memory, in particular, may be key factors. A range of tests have been developed to assess visuospatial processing and memory, but how such tests relate to navigation ability remains unclear. This understanding is important to advance tests of navigation for disease monitoring in various disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) where spatial impairment is an early symptom. Here, we report the use of an established mobile gaming app, Sea Hero Quest (SHQ), as a measure of navigation ability in a sample of young, predominantly female university students (N = 78; 20; female = 74.3%; mean age = 20.33 years). We used three separate tests of navigation embedded in SHQ: wayfinding, path integration and spatial memory in a radial arm maze. In the same participants, we also collected measures of mental rotation (Mental Rotation Test), visuospatial processing (Design Organization Test) and visuospatial working memory (Digital Corsi). We found few strong correlations across our measures. Being good at wayfinding in a virtual navigation test does not mean an individual will also be good at path integration, have a superior memory in a radial arm maze, or rate themself as having a strong sense of direction. However, we observed that participants who were good in the wayfinding task of SHQ tended to perform well on the three visuospatial tasks examined here, and to also use a landmark strategy in the radial maze task. These findings help clarify the associations between different abilities involved in spatial navigation.

Developing a Mobile Game Application to Enhance Learning Experience in Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Wiring beyond the Laboratory

In the field of automation technology education, the primary emphasis is on instructing students in the use of programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Practical training for beginners includes sessions on wiring and programming. However, the training on wiring lacks resources for additional practice outside the laboratory. Recognizing the potential of mobile devices and digital game-based learning, this study aims to create a mobile game app for practicing basic PLC wiring at any time and in any location. The study also seeks to examine the impact of using the game app on student performance and user satisfaction. The game app underwent expert assessment and received a high suitability rating, garnering an overall score of 4.43. Subsequently, it was employed in an experiment involving an experimental group comprising 18 students and a control group consisting of 22 students. To address non-normal data, we utilized both parametric and non-parametric methods to ensure more robust data analysis. The study found that both the independent sample t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test yielded consistent results, with p-values of 0.009 and 0.01, both below 0.05. This led to the conclusion that additional practice with the game app improved students’ performance in wiring. The user experience received positive feedback, with an overall score of 4.25. Based on the results, we consider this game app to be an effective learning tool that can enhance student performance and the learning experience in basic PLC wiring.

Shorter self-reported sleep duration is associated with worse virtual spatial navigation performance in men.

Sleep has been shown to impact navigation ability. However, it remains unclear how different sleep-related variables may be independently associated with spatial navigation performance, and as to whether gender may play a role in these associations. We used a mobile video game app, Sea Hero Quest (SHQ), to measure wayfinding ability in US-based participants. Wayfinding performance on SHQ has been shown to correlate with real-world wayfinding. Participants were asked to report their sleep duration, quality, daytime sleepiness and nap frequency and duration on a typical night (n = 766, 335 men, 431 women, mean age = 26.5years, range = 18-59years). A multiple linear regression was used to identify which self-reported sleep variables were independently associated with wayfinding performance. Shorter self-reported sleep durations were significantly associated with worse wayfinding performance in men only. Other self-reported sleep variables showed non-significant trends of association with wayfinding performance. When removing non-typical sleepers (< 6 or > 9h of sleep on a typical night), the significant association between sleep duration and spatial navigation performance in men was no longer present. These findings from U.S.-based participants suggest that a longer self-reported sleep duration may be an important contributor to successful navigation ability in men.

An Intelligent Customer-Driven Digital Solution to Improve Perioperative Health Outcomes Among Children Undergoing Circumcision and Their Parents: Development and Evaluation.

Circumcision as a common elective pediatric surgery worldwide is a stressful and anxiety-inducing experience for parents and children. Although current perioperative interventions proved effective, such as reducing preoperative anxiety, there are limited holistic solutions using mobile apps. This paper aims to describe the development and primary evaluation of an intelligent customer-driven smartphone-based app program (ICory-Circumcision) to enhance health outcomes among children undergoing circumcision and their family caregivers. Based on the review of the literature and previous studies, Bandura's self-efficacy theory was adopted as the conceptual framework. A multidisciplinary team was built to identify the content and develop the apps. Semistructured interviews were conducted to evaluate the ICory-Circumcision. The ICory-Circumcision study was carried out from March 2019 to January 2020 and comprised 2 mobile apps, BuddyCare app and Triumf Health mobile game app. The former provides a day-by-day perioperative guide for parents whose children are undergoing circumcision, while the latter provides emotional support and distraction to children. In total, 6 participants were recruited to use the apps and interviewed to evaluate the program. In total, 4 main categories and 10 subcategories were generated from content analysis. ICory-Circumcision seemed to lean toward being useful. Revisions to ICory-Circumcision are necessary to enhance its contents and features before advancing to the randomized controlled trial. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04174404; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04174404.

Critical Success Factors (CSFs) Model for Military Training Mobile Gaming Apps (MG apps)

Mobile gaming is a part of worldwide Information and Communication Technology (ICT) characterized by new paradigms and rapid growth (ICT). Integrating mobile games into military training equips trainee officers with the requisite effectiveness, efficiency, and enjoyment to accomplish training assignments. To ensure the optimization and quality of mobile gaming, it is vital to study key success factors (CSFs) to design app user interfaces. This study aims to develop a CSFs model of mobile gaming apps (MG apps) and assess the applicability of the model in military training. This research intends to examine the CSFs of MG apps, build a structure of CSFs of MG apps, and develop a CSFs model of MG apps for the purpose of military training. In the study, a sample of hundreds of cadet officers from the Malaysian Military Training Academy was utilized. The research was conducted in three phases: theoretical analysis, empirical study, and development of the proposed CSFs model of MG apps in military training. This paradigm is helpful to sectors of ICT and Defence Technology as an alternative way to ensure the success of the development of MG apps for military and armed forces education and training. This strategy also provides a new successful mechanism and assurance for using MG apps in military and armed forces education and training, as well as ICT-savvy cadet officers from Malaysia.

Study protocol for an individually randomized control trial for India's first roleplay-based mobile game for reproductive health for adolescent girls

BackgroundGo Nisha Go™ (GNG), is a mobile game combining behavioural science, human-centric design, game-based learning, and interactive storytelling. The model uses a direct-to-consumer (DTC) approach to deliver information, products, services, interactive learning, and agency-building experiences directly to girls. The game’s five episodes focus on issues of menstrual health management, fertility awareness, consent, contraception, and negotiation for delay of marriage and career. The game’s effectiveness on indicators linked to these issues will be measured using an encouragement design in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).MethodsA two-arm RCT will be conducted in three cities in India: Patna, Jaipur, and Delhi-NCR. The first arm is the treatment (encouragement) arm (n = 975) where the participants will be encouraged to download and play the game, and the second arm (n = 975) where the participants will not receive any nudges/encouragement to play the game. They may or may not have access to the game. After the baseline recruitment, participants will be randomly assigned to these two arms across the three locations. Participants of the treatment/encouragement arm will receive continuous support as part of the encouragement design to adopt, install the game from the Google Play Store at no cost, and play all levels on their Android devices. The encouragement activity will continue for ten weeks, during which participants will receive creative messages via weekly phone calls and WhatsApp messages. We will conduct the follow-up survey with all the participants (n = 1950) from the baseline survey after ten weeks of exposure. We will conduct 60 in-depth qualitative interviews (20 at each location) with a sub-sample of the participants from the encouragement arm to augment the quantitative surveys.DiscussionFollowing pre-testing of survey tools for feasibility of methodologies, we will recruit participants, randomize, collect baseline data, execute the encouragement design, and conduct the follow-up survey with eligible adolescents as written in the study protocol. Our study will add insights for the implementation of an encouragement design in RCTs with adolescent girls in the spectrum of game-based learning on sexual and reproductive health in India. Our study will provide evidence to support the outcome evaluation of the digital mobile game app, GNG. To our knowledge this is the first ever outcome evaluation study for a game-based application, and this study is expected to facilitate scalability of a direct-to-consumer approach to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes in India.Trial registration number: ctri.nic.in: CTRI/2023/03/050447.

Effects of Gamified Mobile Apps on Purchase Intentions and Word-of-Mouth Engagement: Implications for Sustainability Behavior

In today’s competitive environment, stimulating and maintaining customer engagement through gamified apps seems essential for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Consequently, gamification in marketing apps has garnered increased attention from companies interested in exploring how gaming processes and experiences can be utilized to create more engaging digital platforms. The objective of this study is to examine how consumer experiences and satisfaction with mobile gaming apps influence their purchase intentions and propensity to participate in word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. A total of 351 study participants who have used gamified mobile apps completed an online survey. The study results indicate that user experience with the gamified mobile apps has a positive influence on consumers’ perceived value and satisfaction. Furthermore, perceived value and satisfaction mediate the relationships between gamified mobile app experience and marketing outcomes, specifically purchase intentions and WOM communication. The implications for sustainable behavior are also discussed.

A Design-Led Theory of Change for a Mobile Game App (Go Nisha Go) for Adolescent Girls in India: Multimix Methodology Study

India has one of the largest adolescent populations in the world. Yet adolescents, particularly adolescent girls, have limited access to correct sexual and reproductive health information and services. The context in which adolescent girls live is one of gender inequity where they contend with early marriage and early pregnancy and have few opportunities for quality education and labor force participation. The digital revolution has expanded the penetration of mobile phones across India, increasingly being used by adolescent girls. Health interventions are also moving onto digital platforms. Evidence has shown that applications of game elements and game-based learning can be powerful tools in behavior change and health interventions. This provides a unique opportunity, particularly for the private sector, to reach and empower adolescent girls directly with information, products, and services in a private and fun manner. The objective of this paper is to describe how a design-led Theory of Change (ToC) was formulated for a mobile game app that is not only underpinned by theories of various behavior change models but also identifies variables and triggers for in-game behavioral intentions that can be tracked and measured within the game and validated through a rigorous post-gameplay outcome evaluation. We describe the use of a multimix methodology to formulate a ToC informing behavioral frameworks and co-design approaches in our proof-of-concept product development journey. This process created a statement of hypothesis and "pathways to impact" with a continuous, cumulative, and iterative design process that included key stakeholders in the production of a smartphone app. With theoretical underpinnings of social behavior and modeling frameworks, systematic research, and other creative methods, we developed a design-led ToC pathway that can delineate complex and multidisciplinary outputs for measuring impact. The statement of hypothesis that emerged posits that "If girls virtually experience the outcomes of choices that they make for their avatar in the mobile game, then they can make informed decisions that direct the course of their own life." Four learning pathways (DISCOVER, PLAY, DECIDE, and ACT) are scaffolded on 3 pillars of evidence, engagement, and evaluation to support the ToC-led framework. It informs decision-making and life outcomes through game-based objectives and in-game triggers that offer direct access to information, products, and services. This approach of using a multimix methodology for identifying varied and multidisciplinary pathways to change is of particular interest to measuring the impact of innovations, especially digital products, that do not necessarily conform with traditional behavioral change models or standard co-design approaches. We also explain the benefits of using iterative and cumulative inputs to integrate ongoing user feedback, while identifying pathways to various impacts, and not limiting it to only the design and development phase.

Embracing gen-z's learning styles with a mobile enthalpy game application (MEGA) for thermochemical equation

Gen-Z is digital natives with unique learning styles. Gen Z is attracted to mobile technology and interactive visual learning materials. Therefore, the mobile game application seems to engage Gen Z in learning abstract chemistry topics. This paper focuses on the effectiveness of an Android game app, mobile enthalpy game application (MEGA) to facilitate students to write thermochemical equations and study its effect on their achievement in the topic. The study involved 72 Malaysian science matriculation students which were divided into control and treatment groups. The impact of MEGA (treatment group) versus PowerPoint slides (control group) on students’ performance in writing thermochemical equations was compared. Results showed significant differences in pre and post-test scores for students in MEGA and PowerPoint groups. Students in the treatment group surpassed the control group's performance in the post-test scores. To conclude, the mobile game apps (MEGA) seemed to be able to promote gen Z’s achievement and interest in learning.

Impact of Modularity Design on Mobile App Launch Success

Problem definition: Initial product design decisions are critically important for mobile apps, which show a relatively short time from launch to peak usage, thus providing a narrow window for success and no time for course correction based on market reaction. Mobile apps are designed using a highly modular architecture based on software development kits (SDKs), with SDK choices being sequentially determined along three dimensions—multiplicity (total number of SDKs), compatibility (SDK co-occurrence frequency), and novelty (SDK degree of newness to the developer). We evaluate the consequence of these decisions on initial market success in the context of mobile gaming app design. Academic/practical relevance: The resulting conceptual framework aids developers in determining the modularity of digital product development. Methodology: We formulate an instrumental variables least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model to estimate relationships of interest using a proprietary data set extracted from the application programming interface server of a leading mobile apps intelligence firm. Results: We find a negative impact of SDK multiplicity on initial success. High SDK compatibility can mitigate this negative effect, whereas high SDK novelty can exacerbate the negative effect of multiplicity. Post hoc analysis shows that business-to-consumer (B2C) communication features can also mitigate this negative impact. Managerial implications: Prior product modularity research has predominantly focused on physical products or relied on single-dimensional modularity measures. Our study conceptualizes modularity as multidimensional and investigates how these multidimensional SDK-based modularity choices impact the performance of a key category of digital products—mobile apps. We demonstrate that increasing multiplicity, essential in certain markets, negatively affects initial success. However, firms can enhance SDK compatibility, reduce SDK novelty, and use B2C communication channels to mitigate this negative impact. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.1181 .

Considerations of Game Dynamics and Mechanics in College Students' Use of Mobile Games for Learning

Mobile phone ownership has grown exponentially over the years with the development of many forms of mobile applications that replicate, if not replace, existing real-world technologies. The mobile games market follows this trend, usurping the video games console and computer games market with mobile game apps offering multiplayer and networked mobility. Educational mobile games have their own niche, but at the same time many games made for self-entertainment can be re-purposed into teaching and learning, provided the game dynamics and mechanics are sufficiently present for active learning to take place. This paper is an early literature review and preliminary study on identifying students' perception of certain game dynamics and game mechanics so that in turn any decision in introducing mobile game apps into learning is able to measure their relevance and appropriateness to the target student user. The study employed factor analysis to construct a six-factor model that can be used in measuring students' preferences for, and aversions to, specific game dynamics and mechanics.

To stitch: trying Platonov

[Abstract in English is below] Актуальность данного исследования обусловлена высокими темпами развития современной практики дистанционного обучения, необходимостью анализа и теоретического осмысления новых форматов обучения в русле компьютерной лингводидактики. В связи с этим целью исследования является анализ перспективы использования мобильных учебно-игровых приложений в качестве средств закрепления и контроля усвоения материала, диагностики языковых ошибок. Предметом исследования, описываемого в настоящей статье, является методика использования мобильных учебно-игровых приложений в обучении русскому языку. В настоящей работе использовался комплекс методов, адекватных предмету исследования: метод непосредственного наблюдения; описательный, включающий в себя наблюдение, сопоставление данных, классификацию объектов исследования, обобщение и интерпретацию полученной информации. Использовались также эмпирические методы: изучение и обобщение педагогического опыта, методический эксперимент и анкетирование. Теоретической и методологической основой послужили материалы современных отечественных и зарубежных исследований, посвященных изучению практики использования электронных игровых технологий, в том числе основанных на компьютерном моделировании трехмерного интерактивного пространства, мобильных технологий, компьютерных игр и приложений в обучении русскому языку. Результатом исследования стало описание и характеристика использования учебно-игровых мобильных приложений в обучении русскому языку на примере приложения «Приключения Киберкота». Перспективы применения данного вида приложений как средства обучения анализируются в лингвометодическом аспекте – на основе результатов эксперимента – и в психолого-педагогическом аспекте – по материалам анкетирования обучающихся. Сформулирован принцип имплицитного контроля усвоения языкового материала, определено место учебно-игровых приложений в общей классификации мобильного программного обеспечения. Также в статье рассматриваются понятия «геймификация» и «образовательный киберквест» применительно к области мобильных учебно-игровых приложений. Результаты исследования могут быть использованы при проектировании и разработке учебно-игровых программных комплексов и приложений. Расширение практики использования подобных электронных образовательных систем позволит открыть новые перспективы в обучении и самообучении русскому языку. Основные ожидаемые результаты использования подобных приложений – это оптимизация учебного процесса (в т. ч. внеаудиторного обучения) как для обучающихся, так и для педагогов, повышение мотивации обучающихся к изучению русского языка, снижение негативных психологических эффектов восприятия учащимися образовательного процесса. Для расширения подобной практики в качестве средства обучения предлагается рассматривать учебные мобильные приложения, разработанные на основе игровой механики, примером которых может служить приложение «Приключения Киберкота», разработанное научно-техническим коллективом Государственного института русского языка им. А. С. Пушкина. The urgency of this study can be attributed to the high pace of development of modern distance learning practice and the need for analysis and theoretical understanding of new training formats in line with computer linguodidactics. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to analyze the prospects for using mobile training and gaming applications as a means of fixing and diagnosing language mistakes and controlling the acquisition. The object of research includes the methods of application of mobile learning game apps in teaching Russian. The theoretical and methodological basis included modern Russian and foreign studies devoted to the problems of the use of electronic gaming technologies, specifically those based on computer modeling of interactive 3D space, mobile technologies, computer games and applications in Russian language teaching. The article employs a complex of methods adequate to the object of study: the method of direct observation; description including observation, data comparison, classification of research objects, generalization and interpretation of the information received. It also uses empirical methods such as analysis and generalization of pedagogical experience, methodological experiment and questionnaires. The study has resulted in a description and characterization of the use of mobile educational and gaming applications in teaching Russian basing on the example of the app “Priklyucheniya Kiberkota” (The Adventures of Cybercat). The perspectives of use of this type of apps as a learning tool are analyzed in linguometodological aspect, based on the results of the experiment, and in the aspect of pedagogical psychology, based on answers to the questionnaire. The implicit control principle was formulated, and the place of educational and gaming applications in the general classification of mobile software was determined. The article also discusses the concepts of “gamification” and “educational cyberquest” in the field of mobile educational and gaming applications. The research results can be used in the design and development of educational and game software systems and applications. The expansion of the practice of using such electronic educational systems will open up new vistas in the Russian language teaching and self learning. The main expected results of using such applications are: optimization of the format of extracurricular education, an increase in motivation and a decrease in the negative psychological effects of students’perceptions of the educational process. In order to expand this practice, it is proposed to consider educational applications developed on the basis of game mechanics as a learning tool. The proper example is “The Adventures of Cybercat” application developed by the scientific and technical team of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute.

Development of an Artificial Intelligence System to Monitor Digital Marketing of Unhealthy Food to Children: Research Protocol

ObjectivesUnhealthy food marketing to children adversely affects their diet quality and health. The negative impacts of this marketing may be amplified on digital media, which allows industry to use artificial intelligence (AI) to market unhealthy food to children in covert ways. Health Canada is developing regulations to prohibit digital marketing of unhealthy food that appeals to children <13 years. However, reliance on adults to manually assess food marketing to children on digital media has limited understanding of key targets for policy and capacity to monitor policy adherence. To address these gaps, we are developing an AI system to monitor marketing of unhealthy food to children on digital media, including websites, YouTube, social media and mobile gaming apps.MethodsOur web and mobile scrapers continuously collect marketing instances that may be viewed by individuals in Canada on websites and social media applications popular with children. This has allowed us to accumulate a database of > 615,000 marketing instances. The AI system extracts features from each marketing instance to determine whether foods are present, and if so, whether they are unhealthy according to Health Canada's standards (based on the presence of added saturated fat, added sodium and/or free sugars). Next, the AI system uses a supervised machine learning model to assess whether child appealing marketing techniques are present. In the final step, the system integrates all of the data collected to determine whether a given marketing instance features unhealthy foods and appeals to children. The system can be applied to monitor the extent and nature of digital food marketing to children internationally. It can also be retrained to monitor adherence to country-specific policy.ResultsThis is a protocol paper so there are no results.ConclusionsThe AI system provides a scalable, objective and reproducible manner to identify digital marketing of unhealthy food that appeals to children across the digital marketing landscape. The system can assist researchers and policy makers to study children's exposure to digital marketing of unhealthy food and its impacts, and to monitor adherence to policy that restricts this marketing.Funding SourcesCanadian Institutes of Health Research.

Competing for Temporary Advantage in a Hypercompetitive Mobile App Market

Hypercompetitive mobile app stores are characterized by rapid innovation and intense competition. App firms must vie for temporary competitive advantage through competitive actions such as releasing product improvements. We study how competitive indicators influence a particular competitive action—app updates—in a mobile game app market. Our results reveal that app firms take action to improve or sustain their temporary competitive advantage, updating their apps when there are opportunities to capitalize on popularity (e.g., rank and rating volume are increasing) and when their apps’ advantages are threatened (e.g., customer ratings are decreasing). We also find that app updates are released in response to competitors’ actions—specifically, when competitors update their apps and new competitors enter ranking lists. Moreover, our findings show that app firms release app updates when an app’s customer rating volume is increasing or when an app firm’s portfolio of game apps is less diverse, relative to its competitors. We conduct additional analyses that show that older app firms are responsive to more competitive indicators than younger ones and major updates are primarily used to respond to serious threats to apps’ competitive positions. Overall, our results indicate that app updates are competitive actions used to improve or sustain temporary advantage when competitive indicators reveal opportunities to improve or threats to apps’ competitive positions.

Online Support and Intervention for Child Anxiety (OSI): Development and Usability Testing.

BackgroundInternet-based treatments for child anxiety may help to increase access to evidence-based therapies; however, user engagement, uptake, and adherence within routine clinical practice remain as challenges. Involving the intended end users in the development process through user-centered design and usability testing is crucial for maximizing user engagement and adoption of internet-based treatments, but so far this has been lacking for internet-based treatments for child anxiety.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to develop an internet-based treatment for child anxiety through a process of user-centered design (phase 1) and usability testing (phase 2), based on an existing evidence-based, face-to-face, therapist-supported, parent-led cognitive behavioral therapy intervention. It is intended that the internet-based version of this treatment would consist of a parent website, case management system for clinicians, and mobile game app for children.MethodsParents, children, and clinicians who were familiar with the face-to-face version of the treatment were recruited from 2 National Health Service clinics. In phase 1, participants participated in 3 workshops to gain feedback on the overall concept, explore their wants and needs for the websites and game, generate ideas on how the treatment may look, and gain feedback on initial mock-ups of the websites and game. In phase 2, participants attended 3 individual usability testing sessions where they were presented with working prototypes of the website or game and asked to perform a series of tasks on the website (parents and clinicians) or play the game (children). The frequency and details on usability errors were recorded. Participants were asked for their feedback on the website and game using a standardized usability questionnaire and semistructured interviews. The websites and game were iterated after each round of usability testing in response to this feedback.ResultsIn phase 1, participants approved the general concept and rated the initial mock-ups of the website and game positively. In phase 2, working prototypes were rated positively and usability errors declined across the iterations and were mainly cosmetic or minor issues relating to esthetic preference, with few issues regarding ability to navigate the website or technical issues affecting functionality. Feedback from the semistructured interviews further supported the positive response of participants to the website and game, and helped identify areas for improvement during the iteration process. The final iteration of the website and game are presented.ConclusionsTaking an iterative approach to development through user-centered design and usability testing has resulted in an internet-based treatment for child anxiety (Online Support and Intervention for child anxiety) that appears to meet the needs and expectations of the intended users (parents, children, and clinicians) and is easy and enjoyable to use.

Effectiveness, User Engagement and Experience, and Safety of a Mobile App (Lumi Nova) Delivering Exposure-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Strategies to Manage Anxiety in Children via Immersive Gaming Technology: Preliminary Evaluation Study.

BackgroundChildhood anxiety disorders are a prevalent mental health problem that can be treated effectively with cognitive behavioral therapy, in which exposure is a key component; however, access to treatment is poor. Mobile-based apps on smartphones or tablets may facilitate the delivery of evidence-based therapy for child anxiety, thereby overcoming the access and engagement barriers of traditional treatment. Apps that deliver therapeutic content via immersive gaming technology could offer an effective, highly engaging, and flexible treatment proposition.ObjectiveIn this paper, we aim to describe a preliminary multi-method evaluation of Lumi Nova, a mobile app intervention targeting mild to moderate anxiety problems in children aged 7-12 years using exposure therapy delivered via an immersive game. The primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness, user engagement and experience, and safety of the beta version of Lumi Nova.MethodsLumi Nova was co-designed with children, parents, teachers, clinicians, game industry experts, and academic partnerships. In total, 120 community-based children with mild to moderate anxiety and their guardians were enrolled to participate in an 8-week pilot study. The outcome measures captured the app’s effectiveness (anxiety symptoms, child-identified goal-based outcomes, and functional impairment), user engagement (game play data and ease-of-use ratings), and safety (mood ratings and adverse events). The outcome measures before and after the intervention were available for 30 children (age: mean 9.8, SD 1.7 years; girls: 18/30, 60%; White: 24/30, 80%). Additional game play data were automatically generated for 67 children (age: mean 9.6, SD 1.53 years; girls: 35/67, 52%; White: 42/67, 63%). Postintervention open-response data from 53% (16/30) of guardians relating to the primary objectives were also examined.ResultsPlaying Lumi Nova was effective in reducing anxiety symptom severity over the 8-week period of game play (t29=2.79; P=.009; Cohen d=0.35) and making progress toward treatment goals (z=2.43; P=.02), but there were no improvements in relation to functional impairment. Children found it easy to play the game and engaged safely with therapeutic content. However, the positive effects were small, and there were limitations to the game play data.ConclusionsThis preliminary study provides initial evidence that an immersive mobile game app may safely benefit children experiencing mild to moderate anxiety. It also demonstrates the value of the rigorous evaluation of digital interventions during the development process to rapidly improve readiness for full market launch.

Antecedents and consequences of sending and receiving information in mobile gaming apps

Mobile gaming applications (apps) are increasingly engineered to encourage the sending and receiving information between players in hopes of generating word-of-mouth and stimulating purchases. This research utilizes a social influence perspective to examine the trait antecedents (identification as a member of the gaming community, susceptibility to informational influence) and behavioral consequences (paying for downloads of mobile app games, making in-app purchases, sharing of gaming experiences) of the desires to send and receive market information in mobile gaming apps.A structural equation model was constructed and tested from a survey of 265 US adults who identified themselves as playing mobile gaming apps. Results show dramatically different antecedents and consequences between trait desires to send and receive market information in mobile gaming apps. The desire to send market information significantly and positively affected all three gaming behaviors, while the desire to receive market information had a negative effect on in-app purchases. The desire to send market information also fully mediated the impact of susceptibility to informational influence on all three behaviors. These findings help expand knowledge of informational exchange in mobile games to help developers increase engagement and monetization.