Wearable Health Information: Effects of Comparative Feedback and Presentation Mode

Abstract

Wearable devices with health monitoring and activity tracking functions are experiencing increasing popularity and allow users to become more aware of their health-related behavior. To find more effective ways of delivering health information to users, this study examined the psychological effects of forms of health feedback (comparative vs. non-comparative) and presentation modes (text vs. image) on users' tendencies toward health conservation. Results from a between-subjects experiment (N = 40) revealed that health information in a comparative and textual format was more effective in encouraging health conservation in participants than identical information presented in a non-comparative and image format. In addition, participants' level of health consciousness emerged as a significant predictor. The implications of the key findings are discussed.