How to create flow experience in exergames? Perspective of flow theory

• Published in: Telematics and informatics Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 1288 - 1296
• Main Authors: Huang, Han-Chung, Pham, Thi Tuan Linh, Wong, May-Kuen, Chiu, Hsin-Ying, Yang, Ya-Hui, Teng, Ching-I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Achievement; Computer & video games; Enjoyment; Exercise; Exergame; Flow; Flow theory; Physical exercise; Polls & surveys; Psychology; Structural equation modeling; Survey; User experience; User needs; Survey; Exercise; Enjoyment; Structural equation modeling; Achievement; Exergame; Flow
• ISSN: 0736-5853; 1879-324X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2018.03.001

•We examine how enjoyment, challenge, and user needs impact the creation of flow.•Exercise enjoyment links to flow; need for exercise strengthens such a link.•Perceived challenge links to flow; need for achievement strengthens that link.
Exergames are popular computer applications. However, exergaming literature has insufficiently explained the formulation of user-experienced flow and what user needs may facilitate such a formulation, indicating a gap. To fill the gap, this study adopts the flow theory to construct a framework and examines how enjoyment and challenge impact the creation of flow, and how users’ need for achievement and need for exercise may facilitate it. We recruited 583 participants who were asked to play exergames and complete a survey. The analytical results indicate that exercise enjoyment is positively linked to flow, while the need for exercise strengthens such a link. Moreover, challenge is positively linked to flow, and the need for achievement strengthens that link. This study is the first using the flow theory to explain the process by which exergamers experience flow.