Video games to change causes of addictive behaviours

AIM: Smoking is one of the leading public health problems in the world. Currently, there is no evidence-based intervention program available to help youth and young-adults quit smoking. Recruitment and retention of youth are two of the most challenging aspects of the implementation and evaluation of smoking cessation interventions. We argue that limitations in current smoking cessation interventions for youth can be maximally addressed by using video games as interventions. In the current project a video game will be developed and tested on its ability to change underlying causes of smoking behavior such as inhibitory control.

Video game ‘Run 4 your life’ in which smokers are trained to inhibit responses to smoking stimuli and to respond to neutral stimuli.

COLLABORATORS: This project is conducted by PhD student Hanneke Scholten. Co-promotor & daily supervisor: Maartje Luijten. Promotor: prof. Isabela Granic. For game development we collaborate with Mina Johnson & Ken Koontz (Embodied games, BSI, Radboud University), Mat Allaert (programmer) and Marientina Gotsis (University of Southern California).

FUNDING: This project is directly funded by the Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University with additional funding from a small charity.