This work explored the group process benefits of dyadic interaction and interdependence that may be harnessed in exergames (physical activity games) to achieve motivation to persist with physical activity. The Köhler motivation gain effect is a conjunctive task paradigm in which the team outcome is dependent upon the least capable member’s performance. This performance gain is thought to be the result of feeling indispensable to the group and making an upward comparison to one’s moderately higher-ability partner. There is evidence that exercising in groups may be a popular modality for maintaining individual exercise. However, pairing people together to boost persistence with exercise is somewhat risky, as group dynamics may have a negative effect on motivation. The Köhler paradigm offers a method of minimizing performance group losses (e.g., social loafing, free-riding). By instilling task interdependence and a moderate ability discrepancy, the weaker member is nonconsciously encouraged to increase performance above what she/he may have achieved individually. Exergames can provide a tailored exercise partner to operationalize the Köhler group dynamics processes. Experiment 1 questioned whether or not partner weight characteristics moderate the Köhler effect with adult obese participants. Community adults completed the first block of three isometric abdominal exercises alone and the second block either alone (Control), with a lighter weight (LW), or with a same weight partner (SW). Partners were actually confederates recorded earlier and presented as live, from another lab. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the Köhler motivation effect increased persistence with abdominal isometric exercises in obese adults but this effect was not moderated by the relative weight of one’s partner. Experiment 2 participants were exclusively partnered with a same-sex software-generated partner (SGP) to explore whether exercise participants would willingly team up with an SGP. Adults completed a series of abdominal plank exercises similar to Experiment 1. A simple interactive introductory exchange of spoken information via a dialogue tree was tested against a non-interactive method to potentially enhance perceptions of the SGP-human social relationship. SGP partnered participant persisted with exercise longer than non-partnered controls but the difference was not significant. Differences between introductory dialogue methods were also not significant but tended to favor the dialogue tree technique. Experiment 3 extended prior Köhler motivation gain research to a field study for the first time using a mobile phone application. This experiment tested the use of SGPs on a walking task in free-living conditions over 3 weeks. Community adults were randomized to use an app without a SGP, with a SGP, or with a SGP and synchrony tone (a novel interpersonal synchronization feature). Experiment 3 successfully demonstrated implementation of a free-living SGP mobile application using the Köhler paradigm. Results demonstrated a non-significant trend for mean minutes of walking per week, taken across all three weeks, such that participants in the synchronized conjunctive condition walked the most compared to no partner controls. These experiments support this specific motivation effect in adult, community-based samples. A discussion of the findings and limitations is included, as well as avenues of future research for partnered exercise.
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