Buddy Up! Harnessing Group Dynamics to Boost Motivation to Exercise

Research has found that people will work harder with a partner in a taxing physical task than when working alone, especially if the partner is moderately better at the task.  This study provides a virtual partner in exercises that participants do on the Eye Toy: Kinetic camera-based video game.  College-aged study participants are randomly assigned to do Eyetoy: Kinetic exercises either with a virtual partner or alone, and characteristics of the partner are varied to see which are most effective at improving endurance and exercise time, for which types of participants.