=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1153/Paper_8
|storemode=property
|title=Ludo Modi Varietas: A Game-architecture inspired design approach for BCSS
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1153/Paper_8.pdf
|volume=Vol-1153
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/persuasive/WartenaKD14
}}
==Ludo Modi Varietas: A Game-architecture inspired design approach for BCSS==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1153/Paper_8.pdf
Second
International
Workshop
on
Behavior
Change
Support
Systems
(BCSS
2014)
77
Ludo Modi Varietas:
A Game-architecture inspired design approach for BCSS
Bard O. Wartena1,2, Derek A. Kuipers1 and Hylke W. van Dijk1
1
NHL University of Applied Sciences of Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
{wartena, kuipersd, h.w.vandijk}@nhl.nl
2
University of Technology Delft, The Netherlands
b.o.wartena@tudelft.nl
Abstract.
The design of Behavior Change Support Systems (BCSSs) is a multi- and in-
terdisciplinary process that involves a deep understanding of the user, media-
tor, social contexts and ultimately the socio-technical system. This paper at-
tempts to demonstrate the benefit in the design process of combining four ab-
stract modes of use (Trigger, Intervention, Assessment and Participation) from
gaming, the Ludens Modi Varietas Model. MATTIE (Mobile adaptive thera-
peutic tool in psycho-education), a BCSS for youngsters (aged 12-18) with a
mild intellectual disability aiming at behavior change in their social informati-
on processing, is used to exemplify the inner workings of the design model.
Keywords. Behavior Change Support System, Serious Gaming, Ludens Modi
Varietas Model, Persuasive Technology.
1 Introduction
All games are meant to be persuasive, and try to form and reinforce compliance
to keep the user playing. Though persuasive design is inherent to game design,
persuasive games have become a genre on their own merit. Bogost [1] defines
persuasive games as depending on successful procedural rhetoric’s, while Visch
[2] outlines the essentials of user experience, gamification and transfer.
Not all persuasive games are developed with behavioral change in mind and vice
versa not all games with behavioral change in mind are in design persuasive.
Simulations often don’t aim to be persuasive in nature and are often positioned as
training tools without specific entertainment goals. Serious games [3] often at-
tempt to find a mix between entertainment and the serious content [4]. In Persua-
sive technology [5], Oinas-Kukkonen [6] found two main modalities to persuade,
either computer-human or computer mediated persuasion. Rao [7] found similar
modalities for persuasive games and outlined the need for a model similar to the
Persuasive Systems Design model (PSD) [8] to effectively design games as Be-
havior Change Support Systems (BCSSs) [9,10]. Designing serious games
through a model similar to the PSD is intricate, in particular because of the me-
chanisms, dynamics and aesthetics that are inherent to game design [11]. There-
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2014)
fore often game elements, i.e. gamification, are used in BCSSs. Gamification has
proven to be a promising tool towards behavior change, compared to captology
and persuasive technology [12]. Some argue however that, gamification strips
away the essence of a game [13]. Without taking away the essentials of game
design, games with different goals and within differing domains can have very
similar architectures. From a model-based approach and the authors experiences
with serious gaming [14,15,16], the Ludens Modi Varietas (LMV) Model is being
developed. The abstract modalities model focuses at the modes of use in serious
media and uses them as a starting point for designing persuasive game artifacts.
The essential goal of the model is to develop a framework for different game
dynamics, mechanisms, aesthetics and overall design patterns that fit the different
modes of use in games, leading to specific changes in attitude, behavior and/or
compliance.
This paper focuses on the model as a design tool, illustrated through a BCSS
named MATTIE [14]. This application demonstrates all four modes of use as a
BCCS for adolescents with a mild intellectual disability, attempting to alter, form
and reinforce the target audience’s social decision-making behaviors.
2 The Ludo Modi Varietas Model
The abstract modalities model (Figure 1) was developed from the users perspecti-
ve, as well as the mediator’s perspective. The different social contexts in which
the game can be used as well as the sociotechnical system in which the game will
be implemented, both influence the design parameters of the artifact. The arche-
typical modes of use can potentially singularly be a game. However when combi-
ning more than one at the same time, a game can function as a tool that facilitates
the needs of the user, the mediator and the social as well as socio-technological
system in which it will be embedded. The model consists of four archetypical
modes of use;
• Intervention: From a healthcare perspective, an intervention is an evidence-
based method that has been proven successful as an analog version. However,
in BCSS it can also be any newly developed method or barrier aimed at beha-
vior change. The translation of an existing method to a digital game-version
often proves to be difficult. The intervention is usually from the domain-
specific field in which the game will be implemented and depending on the
context can be metaphorically re-contextualized [17].
• Trigger [18, 19]: Fogg’s functional triad and behavior model for persuasive
technology describe a trigger as the onset for behavioral change in a medium.
A Trigger gives feedback with persuasive features that lures the user into par-
ticipation.
• Participation [20, 21]: Murray [22] defines participation as on of the four
essential properties of digital artifacts. The rational behind participation lies in
different user-perspectives as well as the specific qualities of the medium. Par-
ticipation can go beyond in-game participation and manifest in adding com-
ments, ratings or even desired features to the game itself.
Second
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• Assessment [23]: Assessment of skill, knowledge, attitude or behavioral
change all can be core purposes of a game. Assessment within a social or so-
ciotechnical system can also take place outside of the game; this however often
creates a mismatch between the content in the game and the measurements.
Therefor more often the assessment is the game, or part of the game; i.e. em-
bedded assessment. The embedded assessment can also go completely unno-
ticed by the user through hidden design, leading to unobtrusive measurements.
Embedded assessment can take place on persuasion appeal of the product as
well as the didactic transfer related potential.
Fig. 1. Ludens Modi Varietas Model: shows the abstract modes of use as well as
the users and environments for which and in which the artifact is developed.
The socio-technical system [24], attempts to facilitate the interactions between
human and technology in the environment(s) where the application will be im-
plemented. The different social contexts the users take place in outside of the
initial scope of the system are also taken into account. The design of BCSSs is
often a multi-disciplinary process that involves a deep understanding of the user,
mediator, social contexts the user and mediator take part in and socio-technical
system. The LMV model uses modes from design (trigger & participation) as
well as from analytical science (intervention & assessment), thereby attempting to
represent both the communities of practice as well as the communities of obser-
vers [25]. The LMV model offers a multi-view-centered design approach that
attempts to isolate the specific mechanics as well as behavioral outcomes linked
to the abstract modes of use.
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3 Case Studie: Mattie
In this paper Mattie is used to exemplify design through the LMV because of the
relatively transparent game architecture and the uses all the four modes of use in
regard to design for behavior change.
MATTIE is a BCSS for adolescents with a mild intellectual disability (clients)
and their therapists (mediator). The onset of the project was to create a digital
application out of the analog psycho-education folder that was developed for the
target audience. The application was created for the general healthcare facility as
well as for the different social environments outside of the facility the client takes
part in, in daily life.
“The mobile application introduces a simulated facetime call by an actor that is
in a social predicament wherein social decision-making is warranted. The patient
is asked to advise in the presented dilemma, making a decision and is afterwards
confronted with the outcome. Important design choices in the workings of the
application are the choice of actors alike the target audience enhancing the para-
social interaction, the presentation of video-cases outside of the therapeutic set-
ting, empowerment and self-efficacy of the patient through role reversal and an
answering system befitting the social information processing of the target au-
dience. Furthermore it gives therapists the opportunity to gather valuable input
for their sessions and an adaptive system that gives them the control over the
video-cases that are presented to the patient, thus picking the content befitting the
specific needs of the patient.” [cf.12]
Mattie as a BCSS operates from three connected platforms.
1. The Mobile Application Mattie
Which is used by the clients and runs on their mobile devices, prompting vi-
deo-cases: featuring Face time conversations that contain an avatar-mediated
social dilemma. Through use of the mechanic of role reversal, the client get’s
asked for advice by the avatar, breaking with the traditional dynamics of the
therapeutic environment, where the client gets told what to do.
2. A backend behind the application Mattie
Which gives the therapists the options to;
(a) Select video-cases based on subject or answer possibilities for the clients.
(b) Select timeslots on the week schedule of the clients to prompt the video-
cases.
(c) Look at the answer-patterns of the clients through the week.
(d) Walkthrough and remediate the presented video-cases during the week.
Talk the motivations and circumstances behind the decisions.
3. A website platform named www.maakmattiemee.nl;
(a) Which gives the clients and therapists the possibility to rate video-cases
and inform whether they’ve been in similar situation themselves.
(b) Give suggestions about dilemma’s they’ve been in themselves, or subjects
they would like video-cases about.
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3.1 Mattie as an Intervention
As an intervention Mattie, harnesses the core principles of the Attitudes towards
Social Limits (ASL) [26], a reaction response model in social information proces-
sing, that is used in the therapeutics setting as an assessment of the social infor-
mation processing of the clients. The four standard reaction responses (Adjust,
Avoid, Negotiate or Exceed) are used to create two answer possibilities to every
case onset in the database. Per case dilemma two options from the ASL are given,
after a scripted interval depending on the case subject and the consequence of the
chosen response for the avatar. The mediator in the therapeutic setting will facili-
tate relevance and sense making by working through the application with the
client. The social context or situation where the client was in while getting the
prompt from the application can also be taken into the remediation conversation.
3.2 Mattie as a Trigger
Several design principles were used to attempt to make Mattie a persuasive trig-
ger;
• In the choice of the perceived similarity of the actor with the user;
─ The actor acts and looks like a youngster with a mild intellectual disability.
• The framing of the message;
─ The actor asks the client for help (role-reversal from the traditional thera-
peutic setting) and trusts them enough to follow their advice (empowerment
and self-efficacy for the client).
─ The message is portrayed similar to a video chat-conversation, giving it an
authentic look and feel.
• The Use and User context;
─ The timing and onset of the application reaches beyond the context of the
therapeutic setting. Placing Mattie in the social contexts where authentic di-
lemmas in social decision-making take place.
3.3 Participation in and through Mattie
As the client forms a para-social relationship [27] with the avatar, engagement
concerning the consequences of the video-cases increases, as well as compliance
with the application. This engagement in the use of the application can result in
liking of video-cases on the site as well as creating video-cases of their own, by
the clients as well as the therapists, through filling out the dilemma text-based at
the hand of a number of questions. The self-made case descriptions and likes or
dislikes are all displayed on the site as social proof and social comparison. The
designer can use these ratings and the generation of video-cases can be used to
develop new video-cases and extract salient features of video-cases that make
them more persuasive and effective.
3.4 Assessment in and through Mattie
The therapist, to mediate and determine the content of the video-cases for the
client, uses Mattie as a therapeutic tool. Through the logging of the decisions
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2014)
made for the avatar by the client, the therapist gains insights in the social decisi-
on-making of the client and their tendencies towards specific contexts, situations
and social limits. Through iterations, the therapist can adapt the video-cases, ba-
sed on specific needs of the patient, video-case-load and subjects as well as ans-
wer possibilities of the cases. In this way the content on the mobile application
can be tailored to the specific needs of individual clients.
4 Discussion
Mattie aims to be a therapeutic tool that aids the needs of the therapist as well as
the client and fit seamlessly in the socio-technical and social contexts of the users.
Reinforcing compliance towards answering video-cases from the application and
reinforcing compliance through the website. Forming and altering behavior rela-
ted to social information processing in social dilemmas. Finally through mediati-
on and assessment the mediator can attempt to alter the attitude of the client to-
wards social dilemmas.
In the design of Mattie through the use of the LMV model, an intervention from
analytical science was designed and complemented by a trigger with persuasive
features from the design science. Through participation and assessment both the
trigger and intervention are refined and co-developed into a more effective and
more persuasive BCSS. During this iterative development social and socio-
technical system development around the development and implementation of
Mattie, also take place through participation and assessment.
Mattie as a BCSS has to potential to, after several iterations, act as an adaptive
therapeutic tool and use case-patterns (patterns in the exposure of certain case
topics and certain case answers) for co-morbidity or other specific patient charac-
teristics. Designing through the use of the four modalities in the LVM model.
Through its cross-medial nature and different platforms it aims at creating a self-
sustaining BCSS, wherein the therapist and clients can create continuous input
into the design process.
Mediation can take place trough computers as social actors. However remediation
of a BCSS within a clinical setting will involve human healthcare professionals.
Therefore the LVM model uses the mediator as an incremental stakeholder in the
development of the BCSS artifact. Remediation of altering, reinforcing or for-
ming of compliance, behavior or attitude change is vital whether by a machine as
a social actor or a human operator. The involvement of a human mediator as re-
mediation of the BCSS also contributes to the social system development around
the BCSS.
The LVM as a design model aims to facilitate design for the major stakeholders
of the BCSS in use and co-development of BCSS artifacts. The model, as of now,
harbors little to no information about the actual aesthetics, mechanics and dyna-
mics that lead through the proposed behavior change [28], as well as the specific
persuasive cues. However through the use of the four modes from the LMV crea-
te a multi-view of the juxtaposition of the mechanics in place. This way the me-
chanics, dynamics and aesthetics can be divided into the framework according to
the four modes of use. Through the modes of use, different results from and me-
Second
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2014)
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chanics leading to the Outcome/Change Design Matrix [10] can be identified and
isolated in one artifact. The model offers a novel way of looking at product sys-
tem design, attempting to simplify the overlap of mechanics and goals in one
product.
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