Intervention Research Design

A methodology was identified that encompasses these phases, and is also relevant to the task of designing an intervention: the Intervention Design methodology developed by Rothman & Thomas (1994). Figure 25 represents diagrammatically how this methodology was adopted to suit the data requirements, and how this relates to the sub-research questions. The initial stages of the Intervention Design framework (planning and information gathering) encompass the literature review phase, design and development (referred to by Rothman & Thomas as D&D) encompass the intervention design and game design phases. The remaining stages of experimentation and dissemination are analogous to our final experimental phase. The diagram is used throughout the remainder the thesis to provide context for each chapter in terms of which part of the methodology is being presented.

Figure 25. The Intervention Design methodology (Rothman & Thomas 1994) stages, and their equivalent phases in the design of this research, presented in terms of the sub-research questions.

Since its development by Ewin J. Thomas and Jack Rothman in 1994, the Intervention Research (IR) model has been used methodology for designing and evaluating various interventions. The method acknowledges the challenges and issues that stem from the fact that intervention research is usually conducted in a field setting and is a useful tool for those developing innovating or novel solutions (Comer et al. 2004).

IR was intended to be an integrated paradigm, bringing together streams of research from social innovation, social research and development, developmental research, model development, and behavioural community research.

The synthesis of these research areas resulted in a methodology comprising six sequential, cumulative phases (Rothman & Thomas 1994):

- problem analysis and project planning; - information gathering and synthesis; - design of the intervention;

- early development and pilot testing; - evaluation and advanced development; and

- dissemination.

As shown in Figure 25, these phases suitably match the data requirements and methods needed for the sub-research questions. The problem analysis and project planning stage involves the processes of understanding the problem of concern, identifying potential intervention options for addressing this problem, understanding technical, human, and social inhibitors to the feasibility of the intervention, and developing a plan for how the intervention will be delivered. The literature review phase of the research design project focussed on this exploration of the problem space, by looking at previous work in the area of energy conservation. The initial stages of the Behaviour Change Wheel method used in the game design phase also helped to consolidate this analysis of the problem space in a systematic way. The literature review also neatly fits within the information gathering and synthesis phase, which involves identifying existing relevant information in the form of previous studies, exploring the different ways in which data can be collected, and synthesising that information. This synthesis is an outcome of the literature review phase.

A goal of the literature review to identify opportunities for Serious Games to use behaviour change techniques will come naturally from the processes of problem analysis and project planning, and information gathering and synthesis described above.

Building upon this information base, the next stage of the IR model is designing the intervention which includes selecting the best models for bringing about change, identifying deployment options, and determining who will be involved in the actual design of the intervention. The intervention design phase of the thesis fits within the intervention design stage of the IR model as the BCW process addresses these issues, with the outcomes of determining target behaviours and the BCTs with the highest potential. The novel method of linking video game elements to these BCTs is also a part of this stage.

The game design phase represents the development of these video game elements into a cohesive Serious Game and this fits well with the early development and pilot testing phase of the IR model. Having a game design phase which covers the design and development phases of the IR model seems ideal due to the fact that the IR model is often referred to as a design and development method (Comer et al. 2004), implying that these two phases are tightly linked. Within this phase, IR includes the formulation of the procedures and instruments (in the case of this project the instrument is the Serious Game), and refining the output based upon pilot testing. For this project the testing was in the form of consultation with subject matter experts,

which is an established practice in intervention design in general (Rothwell 2000), and for developing Serious Games (Hussain & Coleman 2014; Kelly et al. 2007; Raybourn 2007). The evaluation and dissemination phases of the IR model represent the experiment phase of this project. Delivery to users, and evaluation of the intervention was conducted during this stage. The IR model acknowledges the flexibility required when testing interventions in the field, and thus do not specify if experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental methods should be employed. For this project however, to maximise internal validity, a true experimental method with a pre-test/post-test control group design was chosen.

In addition to the experiment, the evaluation and dissemination phases cover the extensive discussion of challenges involved in the design and implementation of the Serious Game, and the presentation of a set of recommendations to aid future endeavours delivering Serious Games grounded in behaviour change theory. The importance of discussion in intervention research design seems perhaps underplayed in the description of the methodology, however given the value in presenting a strong discussion on the challenges, the discussion component has a strong representation within this project.

Fraser & Galinsky (2010) have suggested an intervention research design which is heavily influenced by the IR model, the main difference being a focus on developing intervention manuals. Their method is more focused on the area of social work, and given the exploratory nature of this project, a manual prescribing how to implement the intervention was not considered necessary. However, a detailed description of the lessons learned and future opportunities was considered important information to impart, in the hope of strengthening the prospects of future Serious Games not only in the area of energy conservation, but for behaviour change in general.

The following sub-sections describe the phases that comprise the research design of this work, noting that the literature review stage has previously been covered in Chapter 2.