Enny Das

Enny Das has a background in social psychology and communication science. She obtained her PhD in social psychology at Utrecht University (2001) with the dissertation ‘How fear appeals work: Motivational biases in the processing of fear-arousing health communications’. She worked for 10 years at the department of Communication Science of VU University Amsterdam before making the move to Radboud University Nijmegen, where she holds a chair in Communication and Persuasion. Enny has obtained several national and international research grants (NWO; Pink Ribbon; EU KP7) in the domains of persuasion and health communication, and supervises projects on e.g., the communication of side effects of medical treatment; media coverage of health information, and the role of language and message factors in the effectiveness of health and commercial communication.

PRESENTATION at Track 5

Be More Indulgent: Less obesity by means of narrative persuasion, persuasive technology, and gamification

A consortium of Universities, game-designers and public organizations recently delivered a proposal to reduce obesity by means of a combined action of narrative persuasion, persuasive technology, and gamification. More than 50% of Dutch citizens are overweight, and numbers rise up to 62% among low educated groups. eHealth technologies should provide individuals with effective strategies to reduce overweight, but the user perspective in eHealth has mostly remained limited to ‘rational’ environmental aspects such as usability of eHealth applications for specific user groups and required eHealth awareness and skills in the targeted users. The consortium moves considerably beyond that research by using personalized, interactive, entertaining and gaming principles to increase target groups’ receptiveness to health information, and to increase the adoption of obesity reducing behaviors by using personally tailored persuasive technology. In our presentation, we will zoom in especially on the narrative aspects of eHealth interventions. In scientific debate some argue that the narrative elements do not add to serious games, while others take an opposite point of view, proposing that narratives are crucial for sustained eHealth effects. This debate will be the core of our contribution, and we challenge the public to participate.

Co authors

Prof. dr. Wijnand IJsselsteijn, Technical University Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Dr. Lilian Beijer, Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Dr. Roland Goetgeluk, Games for Health Projects, Eindhoven, The Netherlands & Dr. Rob Tieben, Games Solutions Lab, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

PRESENTATION at Dutch Program 4

Overtuigingskracht en speltechnieken om obesitas aan te pakken