Virtual pets are common in popular children’s games domain.
, where children play
games with the virtual pet and often nurture it through a button or
touch interface, although more advanced interfaces feature gesture
and speech interaction, such as the game Kinectimals (Microsoft
Xbox 360) or EyePet (Sony Playstation 3). Using interaction with a
pet to treat and prevent obesity has support in the health research
literature. The prevalence of pet obesity tends to be positively
correlated with owner obesity [15]. Moreover, pets can be used to
promote additional exercise in direct clinical interventions, as with
the Paired Pets program [16]. However, there exists little evidence
to suggest that actual pet ownership reduces childhood obesity
Table 1. Theoretical Framework Mapping
Dimension Theoretical Element Virtual Pet Feature Expected Outcome
Individual Self-efficacy
(Confidence that one can exercise
regularly)
The child sets his or her own
exercise goal each day and can
check progress.
By setting and meeting his or her own goals, each child
will be able to experience success. This mastery
experience, or the experience of success, is the greatest
driver of self-efficacy. Heightened self-efficacy will
motivate children to set incrementally more challenging
goals for themselves.
Social Vicarious experiences
(Learning through observation,
learning through competition with
peers)
The child’s physical exercise in
the real world directly affects the
appearance (e.g., looking fit or
overweight) and the abilities
(e.g., performing tricks) of their
virtual pet.
Children learn that regular exercise is important by
observing the health consequences of their virtual pets.
Even if they are unable to meet their exercise goals, they
will be able to see their peers and the performance of their
peers’ virtual pets to observe and learn from their
successes/failures.
Environmental Incentives
(Rewards for meeting goals,
consequences for failing to meet
goals)
Children will earn tricks for
reaching goals. Lower goals will
unlock fewer, simpler tricks
(e.g., sit, beg), whereas higher
goals will unlock more
challenging tricks (e.g., spin
around, moonwalk).
The incentive to work hard to unlock the next level of
difficult tricks for the virtual pet. Consequences will be
evident when his/her virtual pet is only able to do simple
tricks whereas another child’s healthier virtual pet
performs more sophisticated tricks.
524 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS, VOL. 20, NO. 4, APRIL 2014
directly through additional exercise [17].