Wearable computing healthcare by smart band: Based on fear-appeal persuasion

Abstract

Objectives: As Internet of Things (IoT) leads the growth of wearable computing market. In this study, the healthcare market represented by smart watch and the smart band is one part of the fields that the IoT are the most actively utilized. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This study applies the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) to the wearable healthcare utility using smart band display as the substantial theoretical and empirical evidence. With 32 subjects, the analysis utilized a 2×2 between-subjects fully crossed design. Based on the design, four experimental groups, which are high-threat/high-efficacy, high-threat/low-efficacy, low-threat/high-efficacy, and low-threat/low-efficacy, were composed. Findings: As the result of the 1 and 2 research questions, the threat and efficacy were not in a multiplicative relationship but an additive relationship under the both fear and danger control condition on a smart band display. These results lead to the conclusion that the most persuasive message facilitating wearable healthcare users' danger control responses while impeding their fear control responses could be high efficacy message regardless of the level of threat. Improvements/Applications: This study proved empirically that the threat and efficacy have an additive relationship rather than a multiplicative relationship with wearable healthcare devices.