Research on the Gateway Effect of Exergames and Active Games

Members of TEN! Hear this interesting request for evidence of the reason for exergaming's existence! I'm talking about the gateway effect! Sadly this request is just for published research and I know we all have a ton of evidence outside of the laboratory from our own experience and the experiences of others, but maybe there is a diamond in the rough you can share with Debra? Take a look and see if you can help! Cheers! Richard


I am looking for research on the Gateway Effect of exergames and active games.  Please post to the list any studies you know of (include the bibliographic reference if you have it) and the names of researchers who are doing this research.  Thanks!

Some of us have seen individual cases where a person who was sedentary, never interested in physical activity, began to play Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) or a Wii or Kinect or other physically demanding game and then began exercising in other ways, for example by:

(1) playing more exergames
(2) working out and tracking their workouts with mobile fitness games and apps
(3) working out or being active (walking, swimming, gardening, etc.) in non-video-game physical activities
(4) participating in casual (pick-up games) or formal (joining a team or league) team sports

Is there research investigating the Gateway Effect to determine whether it does occur as a result of first playing an exergame or active game and, even better, investigating the processes by which it occurs?  For example, exergames and active games may influence the following factors, which may lead the player to engage in more physical activity elsewhere too:

(1) increase the player's physical capabilities, strength, muscle tone, endurance, etc.
(2) improve self-confidence and self-efficacy for exercise
(3) help the player experience and realize that physical activity can be enjoyable to do
(4) enhance physical well-being, improve ease of movement, reduce pain and soreness, etc.
(5) reduce stress, improve mental outlook
(6) lead to much-needed weight loss
(7) connect the player with others socially
(8) lead to more praise and approval from others, and social acceptance, for being active with exergames and active games

Also, is there any research evidence that exergames and active games may have the opposite of a Gateway Effect?  Do they reduce physical activity elsewhere?  For example, exergames and active games may:

(1) displace more vigorous physical activity with moderate physical activity and so people who substitute exergames and active games for their usual workout activities may reduce their physical fitness
(2) cause sore muscles and joints and increase injury through repetitive movements
(3) cause over-exertion, which may make physical activity less enjoyable than it used to be
(4) socially isolate people who no longer play team sports and instead play DDR at home
(5) do the opposite of any of the 8 factors listed above that I suggested may lead to more physical activity, and instead they may lead to less physical activity...and/or the opposite of the processes in the 8 factors may occur (such as increasing stress instead of reducing it)

Thanks in advance for sharing bibliographic references of published studies and the names of researchers who are doing this research.

Debra

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Debra Lieberman, Ph.D., Director
Health Games Research
University of California, Santa Barbara

Taking a leap of faith for Exergaming

The Exergame Network Fundraiser

A couple of days before Thanksgiving Richard Coshott took a “leap of faith” out of an airplane to raise money for an organization that he is very passionate about, The Exergaming Network (TEN).

Coshott raised nearly $400 using Fundraise.com and that money will go towards paying for research that needs to be done. One of the biggest challenges in growing TEN is trying to convince organizations, schools, educators and anyone involved with making decisions on how exergaming isn’t just video games.

Exergaming is very beneficial to students and it is great way to keep students active. Coshott was nervous about the jump, but knows that it help raise awareness for TEN’s goals.

“When you have a door open to an airplane at 3,000 feet it goes against every natural instinct to jump out,” Coshott said. ”We have raised the profile of the initiative, and the knock on effect is we have some great partnership relationships in construction.”

He is excited about creating more fundraisers with Fundraise.com in the future and loved working with the team on creating a successful fundraiser.


“The great part about using Fundraise is that we can add to our activities, so we’re expecting to add more fundraisers,” Coshott added. 

There is a lot of research to be done in the coming months, and some of the topics that need to be tackled include: Positive Behaviour Effects, Gateway Effect, Comparative Enjoyment of Physical Activity, Health Benefits of Exergaming, Family health benefits of Exergaming, Cognitive benefits of exergaming and Improved social confidence from Exergaming.

Coshott is hoping that exergaming will continue accross the globe in the United States. One of the biggest challenges in the US is that with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, money has been diverted away from physical education and the arts and towards teaching to the test to try to meet the requirements of of NCLB.

But Coshott sees exergaming as a great way to keep kids in shape and educate them at the same time. Some studies show that students who regularly exercise perform better academically.

“Exergaming is brilliant to give all kids a chance to be active and successful in physical activity,” Coshott added. “One goal of TEN is to educate these schools so that they can implement a successful and rewarding experience for the school and the students. The good news is that exergaming can help; so long as we know how to use it and we have the proof that it does say what we say it does.”
And that leads back to the reason why TEN needs financial support.
 “Hence the reason TEN is doing all the work to get the gaps filled in exergaming research and hence the reason I jumped out of a plane last weekend,” Coshott exclaimed.

Here is video of Coshott taking his “literal leap of faith” to help support the TEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXZje4axsk&feature=g-all-u
To read the previous entry on this fundraiser, visit: http://blog.fundraise.com/post/35724102079/growing-the-exergaming-network-one-player-at-a-time, to read more more about the Fundraiser, visit: https://www.fundraise.com/the-exergame-network/active-gamer

Originally posted at :
http://blog.fundraise.com/post/36427724320/taking-a-leap-of-faith-for-exergaming

Jump into Exergaming

The Exergame Network (TEN) is a not for profit advocacy group promoting exergaming and wishes to give students new opportunities to research this exciting new field.

The Exergame Network Chairman of the Board, Richard Coshott, will undertake a sponsored skydive in August this year to raise awareness and money for TEN towards funding students study designs into research reality. TEN will be inviting students to submit study designs for consideration by the board of directors towards an award.

Awards will be made in October and not limited to funding but include donation or free borrowing of exergame equipment and, most valuable, expertise from TEN exergaming researchers in to form of help, advice and study quality assurance.

"I am raising money by way of a sponsored skydive in August 2012 to provide TEN with funds to support aspirations towards quality research in exergaming, by engaging the new generation of researchers. The skydive is a solo jump, which represents the leap of faith and commitment of purpose we would expect to see in candidate submissions into the field of exergaming research from the students." said TEN Chairman Richard Coshott.

The Exergame Network already freely provides a rich source of exergame information at it's wiki http://exergaming.pbworks.com and is supported by the sectors leading, independent experts. The awards for the Future of Exergaming Research will be made by TEN following an international invitation for study designs open to all universities across the globe.

Please support the inititive by showing your support at https://www.fundraise.com/the-exergame-network/active-gamer. All donations will be attributed directly to award winners, full details of the contest will be available via TEN.