Effects of Game-Like Interactive Graphics on Risk Perceptions and Decisions

Jessica S. Ancker, Elke U. Weber and Rita Kukafka

Medical Decision Making, 2011, vol. 31, issue 1, 130-142

Abstract: Background . Many patients have difficulty interpreting risks described in statistical terms as percentages. Computer game technology offers the opportunity to experience how often an event occurs, rather than simply read about its frequency. Objective . To assess effects of interactive graphics on risk perceptions and decisions. Design . Electronic questionnaire. Participants and setting . Respondents (n = 165) recruited online or at an urban hospital. Intervention . Health risks were illustrated by either static graphics or interactive game-like graphics. The interactive search graphic was a grid of squares, which, when clicked, revealed stick figures underneath. Respondents had to click until they found a figure affected by the disease. Measurements . Risk feelings, risk estimates, intention to take preventive action. Results . Different graphics did not affect mean risk estimates, risk feelings, or intention. Low-numeracy participants reported significantly higher risk feelings than high-numeracy ones except with the interactive search graphic. Unexpectedly, respondents reported stronger intentions to take preventive action when the intention question followed questions about efficacy and disease severity than when it followed perceived risk questions (65% v. 34%; P

Keywords: cost utility analysis; randomized trial methodology; risk stratification; population-based studies; scale development/validation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0272989X10364847 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:medema:v:31:y:2011:i:1:p:130-142

DOI: 10.1177/0272989X10364847

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Medical Decision Making
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().