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Article
Predictors of Acceptance and Rejection of Online Peer Support Groups as a Digital Wellbeing Tool
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing
  • John McAlaney, Bournemouth University
  • Manal Aldhayan, Bournemouth University
  • Mohamed Basel Almourad, Zayed University
  • Sainabou Cham, Bournemouth University
  • Raian Ali, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, College of Science and Engineering
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Abstract

© 2020, The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Digital media usage can be problematic; exhibiting symptoms of behavioural addiction such as mood modification, tolerance, conflict, salience, withdrawal symptoms and relapse. Google Digital Wellbeing and Apple Screen Time are examples of an emerging family of tools to help people have a healthier and more conscious relationship with technology. Peer support groups is a known technique for behaviour change and relapse prevention. It can be facilitated online, especially with advanced social networking techniques. Elements of peer support groups are being already embedded in digital wellbeing tools, e.g. peer comparisons, peer commitments, collective usage limit-setting and family time. However, there is a lack of research about the factors influencing people acceptance and rejection of online peer support groups to enhance digital wellbeing. Previous work has qualitatively explored the acceptance and rejection factors to join and participate in such groups. In this paper, we quantitatively study the relationship between culture, personality, self-control, gender, willingness to join the groups and perception of their usefulness, on such acceptance and rejection factors. The qualitative phase included two focus groups and 16 interviews while the quantitative phase consisted of a survey (215 participants). We found a greater number of significant models to predict rejection factors than acceptance factors, although in all cases the amount of variance explained by the models was relatively small. This demonstrates the need to design and, also, introduce such technique in a contextualised and personalised style to avoid rejection and reactance.

ISBN
9783030456962
Publisher
Springer
Disciplines
Keywords
  • Behavioural change,
  • Digital addiction,
  • Digital wellbeing,
  • Online peer groups
Scopus ID
85085522154
Indexed in Scopus
Yes
Open Access
Yes
Open Access Type
Green: A manuscript of this publication is openly available in a repository
http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34124/3/Predictors%20of%20Acceptance%20and%20Rejection%20of%20Online%20Peer%20Support%20Groups%20as%20a%20Digital%20Wellbeing%20Tool%20-%20334.pdf
Citation Information
John McAlaney, Manal Aldhayan, Mohamed Basel Almourad, Sainabou Cham, et al.. "Predictors of Acceptance and Rejection of Online Peer Support Groups as a Digital Wellbeing Tool" Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing Vol. 1161 AISC (2020) p. 95 - 107 ISSN: <a href="https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/issn/2194-5365" target="_blank">2194-5365</a>
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mohamedbasel-almourad/4/