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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Dec:99:106085.
doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106085. Epub 2019 Aug 9.

Leveraging copresence to increase the effectiveness of gamified personalized normative feedback

Joseph W LaBrie  1 , Jennifer L de Rutte  2 , Sarah C Boyle  2 , Cara N Tan  2 , Andrew M Earle  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Leveraging copresence to increase the effectiveness of gamified personalized normative feedback

Joseph W LaBrie et al. Addict Behav. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

Virtual copresence, or the sense of being with others in an online space, is a feeling induced on many apps and websites through user avatars and browsable profile pages. Despite the small/modest effect sizes observed in popular web-based personalized normative feedback (PNF) alcohol interventions for college students, previous research has yet to consider how copresence might boost efficacy. This study builds on previous PNF gamification work to investigate whether specific copresence features (visual and text-based information about peers) increase PNF's ability to reduce alcohol use relative to a standard PNF condition and a gamified PNF condition. Copresence and perceptions of drinking norms (average drinks, peak drinks, and binge episodes) were assessed during a 3-week period following random assignment of college students (N = 235) to 1 of the 4 web-based PNF conditions (Standard PNF, Gamified PNF Only, Gamified PNF + Visual Copresence, and Gamified PNF + Maximum Copresence). These conditions asked the same questions about drinking and delivered identical PNF on alcohol use, but differed in the level of visual and text-based information about peers. Overall, only the gamified condition that featured maximum copresence significantly reduced drinking outcomes relative to standard PNF. However, conditional effects were moderated by pre-intervention drinking. Among heavier pre-intervention drinkers, both gamified conditions that featured copresence significantly improved upon Standard PNF in reducing alcohol use at follow-up. Findings suggest that including social media-like copresence features to visually represent and provide basic information about the peers contributing to the norms can enhance the efficacy of gamified PNF interventions, especially among high-risk heavy drinkers.

Keywords: Alcohol; College students; Copresence; Gamification; Interventions; Social media.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing interest

All authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Screenshots of the study conditions showing varying levels of peer visibility. Note: The class year and gender changed to match the reported gender and class year for each participant.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Models of interactions between condition and T1 alcohol outcomes on T2 alcohol outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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