When Losing Means Winning: The Impact of Conflict in a Digital Game on Young Adults' Intentions to Get Protected from Cancer

Abstract

Abstract

Objectives:

Despite the improved survival rate for patients with cancer in the United States, there is a need for successful intervention programs that can raise awareness about cancer risks among healthy young adults. This research experimentally examines how conflict in a digital game called “Re-Mission™” (HopeLab, Redwood City, CA) may influence young adults' perception of cancer risk, their motivation to get protected from cancer, and their intention to seek cancer-related information from their doctors.

Subjects and Methods:

“Re-Mission” is a game in which players control a nanorobot that goes inside patients' virtual bodies to fight cancer cells. Two days after completing a baseline survey, participants (n=48) played “Re-Mission” at either low or high conflict (i.e., low or high level of obstacles and challenges in the game). Then, participants completed a post-experience survey.

Results:

Participants in the high conflict condition experienced an increase in perceived susceptibility to and severity of cancer. They also increased their intentions to seek information by talking with a physician. Conflict also blocked any decrease in protective motivation.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that by virtually experiencing the consequences of cancer cell behavior, young adult players of “Re-Mission” increased in perception of cancer risks, protective motivation, and intentions to seek cancer-related information. In practice, health interventions should not only disseminate visual information about cancer, but also give the public the opportunity to virtually experience the consequences of cancer in order to understand the risks and become motivated to get protected. Implications for future research are also discussed.