University of California San Francisco
December 13th, 2018
INSPIRE builds on gaming techniques to create an environment in which teens participate in unfolding narratives that address peer pressure, social norms, and alternative consequences of alcohol use. Players adopt the role of a teenage protagonist who “relives” a high-school get-together involving alcohol, with virtual characters who model a range of health behaviors. Outcomes in the story line are actively shaped by the player’s decisions. INSPIRE encourages players to set goals, adopt problem-solving strategies, reason about the consequences of their actions, and reflect on their observed outcomes to adjust their future behaviors. The fully implemented version of INSPIRE is designed to be integrated into primary care clinics with a linkage to the learning environment through the primary care provider.