Implementing positive reinforcement.

Designers should provide immediate positive feedback in various formats to reinforce sustainable energy actions and boost intrinsic motivation.

About this paper

The author argues that existing energy feedback technologies are ineffective because they use a universal approach, failing to account for individual differences in attitudes and motivational stages.

They propose leveraging motivational psychology, specifically the Transtheoretical Model, to develop more personalized and effective strategies for promoting sustainable energy behaviors.

Here are some methods used in this study:

Transtheoretical Model Motivational Interviewing

Which part of the paper did the design guideline come from?

“‘Ubigreen’[24] (Figure 3, top right) employs these techniques. It is a mobile phone visualization that uses semi-automatic sensing technologies to provide feedback of transportation behaviors. It uses a series of emotionally persuasive icons [24] (i.e. a polar bear standing on an iceberg) as positive reinforcement. The more “green” one’s transportation behaviors, the further in the progression of icons one gets (i.e. the iceberg grows and the ecosystem improves) until one reaches the final stage (...)” (‘Positive Reinforcement, Emotional Persuasion (through the ELM) & Values’ section)

He, H. A., Greenberg, S., & Huang, E. M. (2010). One size does not fit all. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

Inspiration and scope

In this paper, the authors examined individuals aiming to engage in sustainable energy behaviors, focusing on motivating them through positive reinforcement.

You are designing for children who want to play soccer but lack enough teammates. Your context and the paper's are different: the paper targets adults driven by sustainability, while your focus is on children wanting to play and be active. At the same time, both use positive reinforcement to drive behavior. For the paper’s context, this could involve feedback on energy savings, which can be adapted to the VR soccer game by offering rewards, achievements, and instant feedback when children participate and perform well.

Also, they differ in that the paper's goal is broad and long-term, focusing on changing habits towards sustainability, while yours is immediate, encouraging children to exercise and play through VR. At the same time, both contexts need intuitive, engaging interfaces to ensure sustained use. For the paper, this means accessible dashboards tracking energy usage. Similarly, the VR soccer game must feature a user-friendly interface for children to easily navigate and enjoy.

By leveraging these similarities, consider designing a VR soccer game that provides immediate feedback and rewards, encouraging children to keep playing and exercising, ensuring they enjoy and find value in the experience.

Your input

What: Design a VR soccer game for the children to encourage them to exercise.
Who: Children who wants to play soccer, but cannot find enough people for their team.
Design stage: Research, Ideation, Evaluation

Understanding users

The following user needs and pain points may apply to your design target as well:

Positive Reinforcement

Designing the VR soccer game with immediate positive feedback, such as rewards and achievements, can motivate children to exercise and enjoy the game. This aligns with the motivational strategy of reinforcing desired behaviors to increase their frequency.

Simple and Engaging Interfaces

The VR soccer game should feature a straightforward and engaging interface that children can navigate with ease. This approach ensures that young users can focus on the physical activity and fun aspects rather than struggling with complicated controls.

Design ideas

Consider the following components for your design:

Implement a dynamic, child-friendly tutorial mode that gradually introduces the gameplay mechanics with simple, colorful graphics and a fun narrative.

Incorporate customizable avatars and teams that allow children to personalize their in-game characters and soccer teams with various outfits, team names, and logos.

Integrate social sharing features that let children share their achievements and badges with friends and family on secure, parent-monitored platforms.

Methods for you

Consider the following method(s) used in this paper for your design work:

Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

Using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to map out the stages of behavior change can help tailor game elements that encourage children to move through different stages of social engagement and physical activity. Keep in mind that your design should cater to children who are at different stages of readiness to play soccer, ranging from just thinking about playing to already engaging in some form of physical activity.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Using Motivational Interviewing (MI) principles can help you understand children's motivational drivers and barriers, facilitating a more engaging VR soccer game design. Ensure to build children's self-efficacy and develop discrepancies between their current inactivity and their potential engagement in soccer activities.

Metrics for you

Consider the following metric(s) used in this paper to evaluate your design work:

Intrinsic Motivation

Using intrinsic motivation helps create a more engaging and rewarding experience for children, fostering sustained interest in the VR soccer game. Designers should ensure that the game includes elements of curiosity, competence, and enjoyment to appeal to children's intrinsic motivations.

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement can encourage children to continue participating in the VR soccer game by rewarding their achievements. Designers should provide immediate and engaging feedback to celebrate accomplishments, ensuring that the rewards are meaningful and aligned with children's interests.

[Table 2] From this figure, you can gain insights into motivational goals relevant to different stages of behavior change, which could inform the motivational aspects of your VR soccer game for children.