Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #290644
Title: Structure of corrective feedback for selection of ineffective vegetable parenting practices for use in a simulation videogame

Author
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item BELTRAN, ALICIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item CHEN, TZU-AN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item O'CONNOR, TERESIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item HUGHES, SHERYL - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item BUDAY, RICHARD - Archimage, Inc
item BARANOWSKI, JANICE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: The Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/13/2012
Publication Date: 2/1/2013
Citation: Baranowski, T., Beltran, A., Chen, T., O'Connor, T., Hughes, S., Buday, R., Baranowski, J. 2013. Structure of corrective feedback for selection of ineffective vegetable parenting practices for use in a simulation videogame. The Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications. 2(1): 29-33.

Interpretive Summary: A serious videogame is being developed to train parents of preschool children in selecting and using parenting practices that are likely to encourage their child to eat more vegetables. The structure of feedback to the parents on their selection may influence what they learn from the game. Little is known about how best to provide negative or disaffirming feedback to adults about their choices while playing a serious video game. An earlier study indicated adult players did not pay attention to earned points or color bar feedback, and they wanted text statements. We tested whether negative feedback needed to be softened between two positive statements, or could be presented first followed by a positive statement. Although participants in general liked the softened feedback more, lower income individuals tended to prefer the softened feedback and higher income individuals tended to prefer the simpler feedback. Thus, it appears that the type of feedback provided in video games should be tailored to an individual's income level to make it more meaningful to the player. This may enhance what a player can learn from playing the game.

Technical Abstract: A serious videogame is being developed to train parents of preschool children in selecting and using parenting practices that are likely to encourage their child to eat more vegetables. The structure of feedback to the parents on their selection may influence what they learn from the game. Feedback Intervention Theory provides some guidance on the design of such messages. The structure of preferred performance feedback statements has not been investigated within serious videogames. Two feedback formats were tested for a player’s preferences within the context of this videogame. Based on Feedback Intervention Theory, which proposes that threat to selfconcept impairs feedback response, three-statement (a nonaffirming comment sandwiched between two affirming comments, called "Oreo" feedback, which should minimize threat to self-concept) and two-statement (a nonaffirming comment followed by an affirming comment) performance feedbacks were tailored to respondents. Tailoring was based on participants’ report of frequency of use of effective and ineffective vegetable parenting practices and the reasons for use of the ineffective practices. Participants selected their preference between the two forms of feedback for each of eight ineffective vegetable parenting practices. In general, mothers (n = 81) (no male respondents) slightly preferred the "Oreo" feedback, but the pattern of preferences varied by demographic characteristics. Stronger relationships by income suggest the feedback structure should be tailored to family income. Future research with larger and more diverse samples needs to test whether perceived threat to self-concept mediates the response to feedback and otherwise verify these findings.