Amy Shirong Lu

Design of Video Games for Children���s Diet and Physical Activity Behavior Changemore

by Amy Shirong Lu

Journal Name: Int J Comp Sci Sport

Publication Date: Dec 1, 2010

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A Scoping Review of Health Game Research: Past, Present, and Futuremore

by Amy Shirong Lu

Abstract Health game research has flourished over the last decade. The number of peer-reviewed scientific publications has surged as the clinical application of health games has diversified. In response to this growth, several past... more

Abstract Health game research has flourished over the last decade. The number of peer-reviewed scientific publications has surged as the clinical application of health games has diversified. In response to this growth, several past literature reviews have assessed the effectiveness of health games in specific clinical subdomains. The past literature reviews, however, have not provided a general scope of health games independent of clinical context. The present systematic review identified 149 publications.

Journal Name: GAMES FOR HEALTH: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications

Publication Date: Apr 1, 2012

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Story immersion in a health video game for child obesity prevention.more

by Amy Shirong Lu

This article reviews research in the fields of psychology, literature, communication, human–computer interaction, public health, and consumer behavior on narrative and its potential relationships with video games and story immersion. It... more

This article reviews research in the fields of psychology, literature, communication, human–computer interaction, public health, and consumer behavior on narrative and its potential relationships with video games and story immersion. It also reviews narrative's role in complementing behavior change theories and the potential of story immersion for health promotion through video games. Video games have potential for health promotion and may be especially promising when attempting to reach youth. An understudied characteristic of video games is that many contain a narrative, or story. Story immersion (transportation) is a mechanism through which a narrative influences players' cognition, affect, and, potentially, health behavior. Immersion promotes the suspension of disbelief and the reduction of counterarguments, enables the story experience as a personal experience, and creates the player's deep affection for narrative protagonists. Story immersion complements behavioral change theories, including the Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory, and Self-Determination Theory. Systematic investigations are needed to realize the powerful potential of interactive narratives within theory-driven research.

Narratives, Video Game, Games for Health, Character, Race perception, Immersion, Transportationedit

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What Race Do They Represent and Does Mine Have Anything to Do with It? Perceived Racial Categories of Anime Charactersmore

by Amy Shirong Lu

Is the intended race of anime characters distinguishable because of their facial features or are they too `international' to tell? This study addressed this question empirically by comparing the intended racial categories of static... more

Is the intended race of anime characters distinguishable because of their facial features or are they too `international' to tell? This study addressed this question empirically by comparing the intended racial categories of static frontal portraits of 341 anime characters randomly selected from anime produced between 1958 and 2005 with the perceptions of 1,046 raters. Results showed that, although the race of more than half of the anime characters was originally designed to be Asian and only a small fraction were intended to be Caucasian, many were perceived as Caucasian by the largely Caucasian raters. Response patterns also indicated `Own Race Projection (ORP)',