StoryMap: Using Social Modeling and Self-Modeling for Supporting Physical Activity Among Low-SES Families

Title of the Paper

StoryMap: Using Social Modeling and Self-Modeling to Support Physical Activity Among Families of Low-SES Backgrounds

Paper Information

• Research Domain: Health technology design for low socioeconomic status (SES) families and studies on promoting physical activity
• Keywords: Health, Family, Physical Activity, Social Cognitive Theory, Social Modeling, Self-Modeling, Self-Efficacy, Low Socioeconomic Status

Research Background and Problems

• What problems or challenges did the authors identify?

  • Obesity poses significant health risks to families of low socioeconomic status (SES), who often face barriers to physical activity such as time constraints and lack of access to exercise facilities.
  • While various personal informatics tools (e.g., fitness tracking apps) can raise awareness of activity levels, there is a lack of research on how these tools can integrate social support and foster reflection to promote positive health attitudes.
  • Current health behavior tracking technologies often lack theoretical grounding, particularly in fully applying the guiding framework of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT).

• Why is this problem important?

  • Obesity can lead to various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which disproportionately affect low-SES families. Prioritizing interventions for these groups is therefore critical.
  • Families serve as an essential source of social support, where mutual influence among family members can foster the development of physical activity habits.

• Motivation and Related Work:

  • The motivation stems from the theoretical need to explore social modeling and self-modeling, which are described in Social Cognitive Theory as key mechanisms for driving behavior change.
  • Although prior studies have explored functions like social comparison and reflection, research on how modeling influences health cognition and behavior remains insufficient.

Solution

• What methods or solutions did the authors propose?

  • The authors proposed an innovative fitness tracking app called StoryMap, designed specifically to meet the needs of low-SES families by integrating social modeling and self-modeling features.
  • Social Modeling: Users can listen to stories about other families' physical activity experiences through the community story feature to inspire action.
  • Self-Modeling: Users can reflect on their own past positive exercise experiences to reinforce confidence in their abilities and the outcomes of physical activity.

• What is innovative about this solution?

  • StoryMap combines storytelling, community interaction, and reflection mechanisms to convey task-related information, emotional insights, behavioral norms, and adequacy through data and personal narratives.
  • The app systematically applies the framework of Social Cognitive Theory to design and evaluate health technology applications, addressing the lack of theoretical grounding in current tools.

• What are the implementation steps and key technologies used?

  • The core features of StoryMap include:
    1. Story-based activity interaction design: Inspiring family members through engaging PA-related storybooks.
    2. Community story-sharing map: Users can record and share their physical activity stories while listening to other families' experiences.
    3. Fitness sensor: Tracking steps using Mi Band 2, enabling families to unlock new story chapters upon achieving goals.
    4. Emotional journaling: Encouraging users to reflect on successful experiences with positive emotions.
  • The study employed a Data-Driven Retrospective Interviewing (DDRI) method, using interaction logs and emotional records to track participants' experiences.

Research Findings

• What specific findings were achieved?

  • A five-week field study revealed that social modeling and self-modeling positively impacted self-efficacy and outcome expectations.
  • Four core types of information—task, emotion, behavioral norms, and adequacy—were identified as crucial in self and social modeling.
  • Metadata (e.g., neighborhood location and family structure) significantly enhanced the perception of similarity during social modeling processes.

• What advantages does it have compared to existing solutions?

  • StoryMap not only provides health data but also supplements users' life contexts through storytelling, further enhancing behavioral motivation.
  • It employs a theory-driven design framework (SCT), offering a clearer explanation of how technology supports the formation of healthy attitudes.
  • It focuses on the specific needs of low-SES families, such as supporting family collaboration in resource-limited environments.

• What were the experimental or evaluation results?

  • During the study, families shared a total of 86 community stories, with each family using the app an average of 17 times.
  • Self-modeling strengthened participants' perceptions of their ability to engage in physical activity and motivated them to repeatedly complete tasks.
  • Social modeling fostered emotional resonance through listening to community stories and enhanced recognition of behavioral norms.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Challenges: During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants faced additional childcare and work pressures, and activity spaces were restricted.
  • Future Directions:
    1. Explore how reflection tools can more effectively drive immediate behaviors.
    2. Design more personalized features, including flexible goal-setting and progress tracking.
    3. Utilize the storytelling feature in StoryMap to support health advocacy, particularly in addressing social misconceptions and expressing collective aspirations within low-SES groups.