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      Effectiveness of Digital Forced-Choice Nudges for Voluntary Data Donation by Health Self-trackers in Germany: Web-Based Experiment

      research-article
      , PhD 1 , , , Prof Dr 1
      (Reviewer), (Reviewer), (Reviewer), (Reviewer)
      Journal of Medical Internet Research
      JMIR Publications
      quantified self, health self-tracking, digital nudge, data donation, health data, mobile phone

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          Abstract

          Background

          Health self-tracking is an evidence-based approach to optimize health and well-being for personal self-improvement through lifestyle changes. At the same time, user-generated health-related data can be of particular value for (health care) research. As longitudinal data, these data can provide evidence for developing better and new medications, diagnosing rare diseases faster, or treating chronic diseases.

          Objective

          This quantitative study aims to investigate the impact of digital forced-choice nudges on the willingness of German health self-trackers to donate self-tracked health-related data for research. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the effectiveness of nonmonetary incentives. Our study enables a gender-specific statement on influencing factors on the voluntary donation of personal health data and, at the same time, on the effectiveness of digital forced-choice nudges within tracking apps.

          Methods

          We implemented a digital experiment using a web-based questionnaire by graphical manipulation of the Runtastic tracking app interface. We asked 5 groups independently to indicate their willingness to donate tracked data for research. We used a digital forced-choice nudge via a pop-up window, which framed the data donation request with 4 different counter values. We generated the counter values according to the specific target group needs identified from the research literature.

          Results

          A sample of 919 was generated, of which, 625 (68%) were women and 294 (32%) were men. By dividing the sample into male and female participants, we take into account research on gender differences in privacy tendencies on the web and offline, showing that female participants display higher privacy concerns than male participants. A statistical group comparison shows that with a small effect size ( r=0.21), men are significantly more likely ( P=.04) to donate their self-tracked data for research if the need to take on social responsibility is addressed (the prosocial counter value in this case—contributing to society) compared with the control group without counter value. Selfish or pseudoprosocial counter values had no significant effect on willingness to donate health data among male or female health self-trackers in Germany when presented as a forced-choice nudge within a tracking app.

          Conclusions

          Although surveys regularly reveal an 80% to 95% willingness to donate data on average in the population, our results show that only 41% (377/919) of the health self-trackers would donate their self-collected health data to research. Although selfish motives do not significantly influence willingness to donate, linking data donation to added societal value could significantly increase the likelihood of donating among male self-trackers by 15.5%. Thus, addressing the need to contribute to society promotes the willingness to donate data among male health self-trackers. The implementation of forced-choice framing nudges within tracking apps presented in a pop-up window can add to the accessibility of user-generated health-related data for research.

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          Most cited references78

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          Framing Theory

          We review the meaning of the concept of framing, approaches to studying framing, and the effects of framing on public opinion. After defining framing and framing effects, we articulate a method for identifying frames in communication and a psychological model for understanding how such frames affect public opinion. We also discuss the relationship between framing and priming, outline future research directions, and describe the normative implications of framing.
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            Prosocial behavior: multilevel perspectives.

            Current research on prosocial behavior covers a broad and diverse range of phenomena. We argue that this large research literature can be best organized and understood from a multilevel perspective. We identify three levels of analysis of prosocial behavior: (a) the "meso" level--the study of helper-recipient dyads in the context of a specific situation; (b) the micro level--the study of the origins of prosocial tendencies and the sources of variation in these tendencies; and (c) the macro level--the study of prosocial actions that occur within the context of groups and large organizations. We present research at each level and discuss similarities and differences across levels. Finally, we consider ways in which theory and research at these three levels of analysis might be combined in future intra- and interdisciplinary research on prosocial behavior.
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              Putting the altruism back into altruism: the evolution of empathy.

              Evolutionary theory postulates that altruistic behavior evolved for the return-benefits it bears the performer. For return-benefits to play a motivational role, however, they need to be experienced by the organism. Motivational analyses should restrict themselves, therefore, to the altruistic impulse and its knowable consequences. Empathy is an ideal candidate mechanism to underlie so-called directed altruism, i.e., altruism in response to anothers's pain, need, or distress. Evidence is accumulating that this mechanism is phylogenetically ancient, probably as old as mammals and birds. Perception of the emotional state of another automatically activates shared representations causing a matching emotional state in the observer. With increasing cognition, state-matching evolved into more complex forms, including concern for the other and perspective-taking. Empathy-induced altruism derives its strength from the emotional stake it offers the self in the other's welfare. The dynamics of the empathy mechanism agree with predictions from kin selection and reciprocal altruism theory.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                J Med Internet Res
                J Med Internet Res
                JMIR
                Journal of Medical Internet Research
                JMIR Publications (Toronto, Canada )
                1439-4456
                1438-8871
                February 2022
                21 February 2022
                : 24
                : 2
                : e31363
                Affiliations
                [1 ] Department of Management and Entrepreneurship Faculty of Management, Economics and Society Witten Herdecke University Witten Germany
                Author notes
                Corresponding Author: Katharina Pilgrim katharina.pilgrim@ 123456uni-wh.de
                Author information
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6475-2194
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1119-9786
                Article
                v24i2e31363
                10.2196/31363
                8902663
                35188472
                09d63dbe-92cb-41fe-81c0-17a6f6d7cefa
                ©Katharina Pilgrim, Sabine Bohnet-Joschko. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 21.02.2022.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

                History
                : 21 June 2021
                : 22 September 2021
                : 17 November 2021
                : 17 December 2021
                Categories
                Original Paper
                Original Paper

                Medicine
                quantified self,health self-tracking,digital nudge,data donation,health data,mobile phone
                Medicine
                quantified self, health self-tracking, digital nudge, data donation, health data, mobile phone

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