Enhancing Aerobic Exercise with a Novel Virtual Exercise Buddy Based on the Köhler Effect

Abstract Objective: Research on active videogames (AVGs) has demonstrated the motivation-boosting power of the Kohler effect (a motivating force for “weak links” in groups based on group principles of upward social comparison and indispensability) with software-generated partners (SGPs), but the effect has yet to be examined over time. We tested the viability of the Kohler effect in an AVG with an SGP over 12 exercise sessions using a cycle ergometer and whether a fatiguing partner (FP) could further boost the effect. Materials and Methods: A repeated-measures design was used to assess mean changes in exercise persistence over time. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three game conditions: AVG alone (individual-control [IC]), AVG with a consistently superior partner (CSP), or AVG with a superior partner who showed signs of fatigue (FP). Assessments were conducted on 82 participants (42 college students and 40 adults from the community) in a laboratory over 12 experimental sessions. The main out...