Work

Exploring the Role of Self-efficacy in Biofeedback Video Games

Year: 2017

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Biofeedback training and game-based biofeedback are increasingly used to improve mental health. When evaluating the effects of biofeedback however, the focus often lies solely on therapeutic outcomes. Meanwhile, it is known that psychological factors such as perceptions of competence, also known as self-efficacy, can significantly influence one's experience and psychological wellbeing. The current paper examined the role of self-efficacy in the context of biofeedback video games. A pilot study was conducted with DEEP, a Virtual Reality video game that uses respiratory-based biofeedback to help individuals cope with stress and anxiety. Self-efficacy was found to be a significant predictor of physiological regulation, highlighting the importance of taking psychological factors such as self-efficacy into account in the development and evaluation of biofeedback games designed to improve mental wellbeing.

Source: Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

DOI: 10.1145/3130859.3131299

Authors: Joanneke Weerdmeester, Marieke van Rooij, Owen Harris, Niki Smit, Rutger C.M.E Engels, Isabela Granic

Institutions: Radboud University Nijmegen, Trimbos Institute

Language: English

Topic: Digital Mental Health Interventions

Subfield: Applied Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie