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The Effects of Gender and Age-Progressed Avatars on Future Self-continuity

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Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2023, Volume 3 (FTC 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 815))

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Abstract

The exploration of age-progression software as a means to induce positive habits and behaviours is a field of research that is gaining traction. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether gender and age-progression software had an effect on future self-continuity (FSC). Using a Two-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), this study compared the FSC scores of users aged 20–50 years (N = 40). The study briefly touches on the impact of age-progression software on motivation and confidence to plan. The Future self-continuity Questionnaire (FSCQ) was employed to test the hypotheses. The results of the current study indicate that the introduction of an age-progressed avatar, displayed in a savings application, had a significant impact on user’s FSC scores. There was no significant difference for the users’ FSC scores based on gender. The current study highlighted the potential value of age-progression software as a means to increase future self-continuity. The implications, limitations and strengths of the current study are discussed. Further research would be beneficial in the area of age-progression software as a means to increase FSC.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland

    Eleanor Keane & Marian McDonnell

Authors
  1. Eleanor Keane
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  2. Marian McDonnell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marian McDonnell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga, Japan

    Kohei Arai

Appendices

Appendix A

Fig. 6.
figure 6figure 6

(a)-(g) High fidelity experimental group prototype.

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Fig. 7.
figure 7

High fidelity control group prototype (1 differing page- the rest remained the same).

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*Differences to note:

  1. 1)

    No ‘The History of You’ page.

  2. 2)

    User’s image on ‘Profile’ page as depicted above is not age-progressed.

Appendix B

Quotes from Participants

*Note: This is in response to question below. The experimental groups were asked this question. The control groups were not.

Fig. 8.
figure 8

Reactions: ‘How did you feel about seeing yourself as an age-progressed avatar?’.

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Keane, E., McDonnell, M. (2023). The Effects of Gender and Age-Progressed Avatars on Future Self-continuity. In: Arai, K. (eds) Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2023, Volume 3. FTC 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 815. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47457-6_4

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