Acceptance of a Virtual Coach as Guided Intervention for Smoking Cessation
A Mixed-Methods Analysis
J.J. Dechering (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
N. Albers – Mentor (TU Delft - Interactive Intelligence)
Willem-Paul Brinkman – Mentor (TU Delft - Interactive Intelligence)
P. Kellnhofer – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Computer Graphics and Visualisation)
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Abstract
As guided interventions are seen as more effective compared to unguided interventions and because the use of eHealth applications is rising over the years, the need to study the effects of a virtual coach as a substitute for guided interventions was created. A virtual coach does not cost as much time and money as a real coach and would thus be beneficial in combination with a virtual smoking cessation application. Therefore, the reasons for preferring to use a questionnaire or virtual coach were studied in this research. Through three questionnaires, 500 participants have indicated their experience with a virtual coach Sam, helping them to prepare to quit smoking. Based on questions about their preference for a virtual coach or a questionnaire, seven themes have been identified. Most of the themes were connected to making the activities proposed by the virtual coach more appealing and therefore the intervention more effective. All in all, the most important aspects of accepting a virtual coach for smoking cessation had to do with the proposed content by the virtual coach.