What Type of Body Shape Moves Children? An Experimental Exploration of the Impact of Narrative Cartoon Character Body Shape on Children's Narrative Engagement, Wishful Identification, and Exercise Motivation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The incorporation of narratives helps to enhance children's engagement in active video games (AVGs), thus increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Specific narrative elements, such as the visual representation of the characters' body shape, have been rarely manipulated to explore their role in modulating children's narrative engagement (NE) and exercise motivation.

Objective

To investigate the effects of character body shape manipulation (overweight/obese, average, or athletic slim) on children's narrative immersion (NI), NE, wishful identification (WI), as well as their mediating effect on AVG and PA motivation.

Methods

Children ages 8-12 years old (N = 87) were randomly assigned to watch a 15-min animated video (designed for an exi

SUBMITTER: Alon D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8312721 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature