From Games to Change: Full Indie Summit presentation Aug 9 2014

From Games to ChangeConnecting the dots between Behavioural Psychology,

Games and Persuasive-design Principles to show how real change can happen in health care.

August 9, 2014 Full Indie SummitMorning Session

Ayo+Go: two of the world’s oldest symbolic games

Ayo Go

Bridge from Play to Games

Games structure and intensification play by adding: • Goal/Win State• Rules• Feedback System• Voluntary participation

Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles. -Bernard Suits

Video games use the science of telemetry, data mining and analytics to perfect their understanding of how players experience play and formalize that into repeatable game components.

Dopamine

Stimulus

ActionFeedback

Habit Loop

Trigger

ActionFeedback

Flow

Habit

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Csíkszentmihályi

There are nine component states of achieving flow (Fullagar & Kelloway):• challenge-skill balance, • merging of action and awareness, • immediate and unambiguous feedback, • concentration on the task at hand, • paradox of control, • transformation of time, • loss of self-consciousness, • autotelic [intrinsically-rewarding] experience.”

Engagement

DopamineAnticipation

OxytocinSocial

bonding

SerotoninGood gut

Tryptophan

EndorphinsPower-through

DOSE: Four Chemicals that Activate Happiness & Engagement

Source: Nicole Lazarro, XeoDesign

vs.

When do serious games make sense?

There’s time to playThere’s a reason to deepen engagementThere’s a discrete player behaviour to motivateThere’s risk to overcome in experimenting with the newRote learning is ineffective Context counts

When fun matters….

Motivation underlies Change GamesWhat is motivating:• Cognitive biases (Behavioural Psychology)• The 90% Success Threshold (CBT- Motivational

Interviewing)• the Zone of Proximal control; Goal Gradient (CBT)• Agency: voluntary, autonomous, personalized, choice• Goal setting (CBT)• Commitment, reciprocal social obligation• Novelty, changing cues and triggers• Feedback on incremental progress (CBT)• Challenge interspersed with easy delight

Behavioral Psychology & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

“The best games have at least 3 out of 4 keys.”

Four Keys to Fun

• Oxytocin• Amusement• Moving together,

gestures• Teasing, Encouraging

• Dopamine• Progress• Completion• Feedback• Meaningful

• Control• Creativity• Exploration• Fantasy

• Endorphins, dopamine

• Frustration, obstacles

• Fiero \o/• Relief

Hard Fun

Easy Fun

People Fun

Serious Fun

Source: Nicole Lazarro, XEO design

The Ayogo Model

Progressive Mastery

CompletionFeedbackMeaningful

NarrativeExploration

Delight

SocialIncoming MessagesEncourageChallenge

Ayogo’s Design Pillars

● Stories● Imagery● Themes● Game

characters● Avatars

● Peer-to-peer communication

● Reciprocal social obligation

● Gifting● Encouragement

Narrative Social Connectivity

● Gamification● Education● Repetition● Increasing

difficulty

Progressive Mastery

User-Centered Design

Player Part

Business model

Client Part

Don’t try to do it all!

Smart Part

feedback, social & narrative

Hard Part

Emotion: Fear down, Fun up

Fun Part

Short burst of extrinsic

Addictive Part

Not found = not played

Obvious Part

The Ayogo Model Rules for Behavior Change Games

Connect with me on LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/mavisdixon

[email protected]

Thank you!

Connect with me on LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/mavisdixon

[email protected]

Samples of Work

Habit Building - Personalization

● In T2T, users can choose what areas of their health they want to focus on

Didja Do-It System (aka tracking)

“Think of points and badges being to games what page numbers and chapter headings are to literature. Sure – they can give you a sense of how far you've come and how many pages you have to go, but what's the story?”

-Michael Fergusson, CEO of Ayogo Health.

…they’re immediately rewarded with a piñata

Smash piñatas, collect monster “ingredients”, combine to unlock new monsters…