Navigating the Design of Simulated Exercising Peers: Insights from a Participatory Design Study

Alessandro Silacci^1,2*Mauro Cherubini²Maurizio Caon¹

• ¹HES-SO, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland
• ²Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

To fight sedentary lifestyles, researchers have introduced various technological interventions aimed at promoting physical activity through social support. These interventions encourage people to exercise together, maintaining high levels of motivation. However, the unpredictable nature of human peers makes it challenging to control behavior and balance these interventions effectively. Artificial intelligence agents, on the other hand, can provide consistent social support and are more controllable. Hence, we propose Simulated Exercising Peers (SEPs) as a promising solution for providing agent-based social support for physical activity. However, it is yet unclear how to design SEPs to provide optimal support to human users. To fill this gap, we conducted participatory design sessions involving young adults in the creation of SEP-based interventions. Sixteen participants generated four prototypes that varied in aesthetics, behavior, and communication style. Our findings highlight key components crucial for designing SEPs that enhance acceptance and efficiently integrate into physical activity interventions. Additionally, the study revealed how the aesthetics and behavior of SEPs could potentially deceive users, which can lead to user disengagement from interventions involving SEPs. Participants also defined two distinct social roles for the SEPs, i.e., coach, and companion, each associated with unique communication styles.