Using a Video Introduction to Impact User Engagement of a Self-Improvement App

Abstract

In combination with behaviour change techniques (BCT’s), digitalisation has become a much-researched area in the 21st century, to impact the behaviours of mobile application users. Two studies dealing with a self-improvement app and self-reported engagement are described and evaluated in this paper. The first study is aimed at creating a process model, mapping the psychological factors that have an impact on user engagement of the Savvi app for self-improvement. Results of a correlation and regression analysis lead to a process model, which is built on the study as well as past literature. Five factors were identified to influence self-reported app engagement (human connection, motivation, attitude, perceived ease in using the app and usefulness). For the second study, a video intervention is created to examine impacts of BCT’s (goal setting (behaviour), action planning, Prompts/cues, Habit formation, adding objects to the environment, commitment, Mental rehearsal of successful performance, Instruction on how to perform a behaviour) on self-reported user engagement. Due to the small sample size and violated assumptions the results could not be evaluated reliably. Besides many limitations of the current study, it provides a base for a video introduction with BCT’s that can help user engagement with the Savvi app. In addition, it shows many potential approaches for future research. Keywords: self-reported app engagement, BCT’s, video intervention, self-improvement