Affective computing on elderly physical and cognitive training within live social networks

Abstract

Emotions play a key role in the user experience, in serious games developed for education, training, assessment, therapy or rehabilitation. Moreover, social network features were recently coined in as key elements for computer based cognitive and physical interventions. In this paper, it is argued that Affective Computing principles may be exploited to increases the motivation of senior users for such computer based interventions. A case study with quantitative results is drawn from the European Commission funded Long Lasting Memories project. Emphasis is placed on how affection, system usability and acceptance might be related to social interaction. Results provide a first evidence that there is indeed a link between how well the intervention and the system is liked when users are placed in groups thereby forming live social networks. It is imperative that such findings could be taken under consideration upon new exergaming designs incorporating social networking capacities over the web. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.