University of Twente Student Theses
Experiences of adheres and nonadheres with an application based on the TransTheoretical model with stage tailored and peer-designed text messages
Praet, Y.A.J. van (2018) Experiences of adheres and nonadheres with an application based on the TransTheoretical model with stage tailored and peer-designed text messages.
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| Abstract: | Background: Nowadays people do not engage in the recommend levels of physical activity. Despite that people in general have favourable attitudes towards healthy behaviours, people often encounter difficulties when trying to maintain a workout schedule. Persuasive technology can stimulate individuals to change their behaviour. This qualitative study is aimed to examine experiences of adheres and nonadheres with the Motiapp. The application (Motiapp) is developed to motivate people to keep exercising or to start exercising. The Motiapp is based on the TransTheoretical Model (TTM) and sends daily text messages to exercise. These text messages are tailored to stage of change of the user and are peer-designed. Method: Individual in-depth interviews about their experiences with the Motiapp were conducted with 15 adheres and with 15 nonadheres of the Motiapp. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed both deductively and inductively. Results: The participants adhered to the Motiapp, because the application was easy to use and the participants were curious about the effects of the Motiapp. The participants nonadhered to the Motiapp, because they got no messages anymore, got a new mobile phone or they disliked certain aspects of the Motiapp. Overall, the messages of the Motiapp were experienced positively. Participants indicated that most of the messages were personal, persuasive and relevant. Moreover, the behavioural processes of the TransTheoretical model were helpful to motivate them to exercise. More than half of the participants indicated that the Motiapp had a positive effect, because it was a reminder to exercise. The other participants indicated that the Motiapp had no effect. However, the participants indicated that the messages were a confirmation to their exercise behaviour. The participants would change the time of receiving the messages and would enlarge the Motiapp with an activity tracking system – to track their activities and to share their activities with friends and the messages should include pictures and links to exercise activities. Conclusion: There are no noticeable difference between the adheres and nonadheres. The most reason for nonadherence are unintentionally. Moreover, it seems adherence can be increased by an easily working application. In general the Motiapp was experienced positively. The messages were experienced as personal and a reminder to exercise. Finally, participants would find a more comprehensive application motivating to exercise more. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies, 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Communication Studies MSc (60713) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/74682 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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