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Technology/Digital Health

(PS12-83) Social Comparison as a Behavior Change Technique in Digital Interventions: Users’ Perceptions of Leaderboards to Promote Physical Activity Motivation and Behavior

Saturday, November 16, 2024
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST
Location: Franklin Hall, Level 4, Marriott Downtown
Abstract Text: Physical activity (PA) leaderboards collect PA data from wearable sensors and show users’ PA from most to least with a visual display of rank. They are commonly used in digital interventions to activate social comparison and are considered one of the most powerful motivators for PA by digital health companies – particularly for emerging adults (ages 18-27), who are more responsive to social comparison than older adults. Yet, evidence shows that while some benefit from leaderboards, others find them aversive, leading to decreased PA motivation and behavior. Critically, it is not clear for whom or under what circumstances leaderboards might be effective, or what users focus on when exposed to a leaderboard. Knowledge about preferences and responses has typically been restricted to industry and the fields of game design and human-computer interaction, where a primary goal is to promote engagement with a digital tool (rather than change behavior). To better understand for whom and under what circumstances PA leaderboards could be effective versus should be avoided (or considered more carefully), using insights from clinical science, we surveyed 172 emerging adults across the US (MAge=21.9, MBMI=27.9, 20% racial/ethnic minority; 20% men) about their perceptions of leaderboards and individual difference characteristics that could differentiate those with positive (vs. negative) responses. Of those who currently use PA apps (21%), 37% indicated that their app includes a leaderboard; 40% stated that they do not participate in this leaderboard and expressed dislike of this feature in open-ended responses. Reasons for dislike were emphasis on competition and potential “failure.” The remaining 60% of respondents reported participating in the leaderboard for 2-24 months because it “keeps them motivated” by showing their success and “the best versions of themselves,” particularly when others are at their “same skill level.” Regarding the interface, a visualization of relative rank (i.e., distance from others as well as rank in descending order; 31%) was perceived as somewhat more informative than a visualization of rank alone (28%), though subsets perceived them as equally informative or indicated that neither were informative (20% each). In response to viewing a leaderboard with their own rank depicted as #4 out of 6 participants, 40% of all respondents perceived themselves as doing well with PA, whereas 60% perceived themselves as doing poorly. Further, 60% of all respondents endorsed motivation to engage in PA and move up the leaderboard. Contrary to expectations, these responses did not differ by gender and were not associated with general tendencies to respond positively or negatively to comparison opportunities (Rs 0.03-0.10, all ps >0.14). Thus, findings show a range of responses to PA leaderboards among emerging adults that do not solely reflect individual difference characteristics. Importantly, some who believe they do not respond well to leaderboards actually endorse motivation in response to leaderboard exposure. Additional investigation is warranted to identify for whom and under what circumstances leaderboards are most likely to lead to benefits (vs. should be avoided).