Title:	“DON'T MAKE ME AN ORPHAN, MOM”: A MOBILE GAME TO SUPPORT SMOKING CESSATION
Author(s):	Olga Shabalina, Vitaliy Aleynikov, Aleksandr Davtian, Ann Matokhina and David C. Moffat
ISBN:	978-989-8533-65-4
Editors:	Mário Macedo
Year:	2017
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Smoking cessation, Mobile game, Virtual dialogue, Emotional photo, Smoking dynamics index, Smoking behavior index
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	63
Last Page:	70
Language:	English
Cover:
Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	Quitting smoking is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Smartphone technology appears to be ideally suited to provide tailored smoking cessation. Analysis of existing mobile games shows three smoking secession approaches: intimidating the user through the threat of loss of life and health, motivating him to stop smoking by staying healthy, saving money, etc.; or providing smoking cessation support. The games, based on the idea of intimidation of the user, intimidate the user himself and make him feel uncomfortable. But the uncomfortable feeling of the smoker leaving behind his loved ones (especially kids) to suffer is much stronger than the fear to die; and it is hardly possible to get used to such anxiety. The paper presents a mobile game implementing a virtual dialogue of the smoking user with his child. Several times a day the user receives a virtual message from his child with a question on how many cigarettes the user has smoked during the last period of time. At the end of each day the user receives the emotional photo of his child with the text comments demonstrating the child attitude to the current smoking activity of the parent. To analyze the current state of the user in terms of his smoking activity the data on the number of smoked cigarettes is represented by a two-parameter random time series variable. Two indices reflecting the user smoking dynamics and smoking behavior are calculated as a function of this variable. The combination of the current values of indices is interpreted in terms of the smoking activity of the user. To organize a virtual dialogue of the user with his child, a nonlinear scenario is used. Some examples of the dialogue in the game are shown.
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