Zhao Zhao

University of Guelph | UOGuelph · School of Computer Science

Biases and misunderstanding stemming from pre-training in Generative Pre-Trained Transformers are more likely for users of underrepresented English varieties, since the training dataset favors dominant Englishes (e.g., American English). We investigate (potential) bias in GPT-4 when it interacts with Trinidadian English Creole (TEC), a non-hegemoni...

Fun and social affiliation are good predictors of long-term intention to use game-based interventions including those for motivating physical activity, yet current player matching algorithms are poor at facilitating social connectedness. In this paper, we report on the results of a study investigating how different player traits are associated with...

In several countries, social robots are increasingly accessible within homes, particularly in those with pre-school- aged children. However, research on social robots has mostly been conducted in laboratory or classroom settings, and their long-term use has received little attention. Additionally, while there is a growing body of literature on CRI...

Background Gamification and persuasive games are effective tools to motivate behavior change, particularly to promote daily physical activities. On the one hand, studies have suggested that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work well for persuasive game design. On the other hand, player modeling and recommender systems are increasingly used for...

In this research, we propose Player Matching using Personal Characteristics (PMPC) approach as an attempt to create a more socially satisfying playing experience and address the retention problem. We start by exploring the effectiveness of pairing players based on personality types and simple game features such as competitive and cooperative group...

Exergames are effective tools to motivate and promote daily physical activities. However, previous studies indicated that many people who start any type of exercise drop out of the program before establishing new habits. Research has shown that personalization is key to effective game-based interventions. Player modeling and recommender systems are...

Exergames are effective tools to motivate and promote daily physical activities. However, previous studies indicated that many people who start any type of exercise drop out of the program before establishing new habits. Research has shown that personalization is key to effective game-based interventions. Player modeling and recommender systems are...

BACKGROUND Gamification and persuasive games are effective tools to motivate behavior change, particularly to promote daily physical activities. On the one hand, studies have suggested that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work well for persuasive game design. On the other hand, player modeling and recommender systems are increasingly used for...

Background: Exergames have attracted the interest of academics, practitioners, and designers, in domains as diverse as health, human-computer interaction, psychology, and information technology. This is primarily because exergames can make the exercise experience more enjoyable and entertaining, and in turn, can increase exercise levels. Despite t...

Gamification and exergames in particular have been broadly employed in health and fitness as an attempt to promote exercise and more active life styles. Motivated by popularity and availability of wearable activity trackers, we present the design and findings of a study on the motivational effects of using activity tracker-based games to promote da...

Wearable technologies are a growing industry with significant potential in different aspects of health and fitness. Gamification of health and fitness, on the other hand, has recently become a popular field of research. Accordingly, we believe that wearable devices have the potential to be utilized towards gamification of fitness and exercise. In t...

Recent years have been hailed by many as the era of the wearables. Meanwhile, gamification in the area of health and fitness has rapidly emerged as a popular field of research. This paper reports the early results of a long-term (70-day) study of using wearable activity trackers and gamification to promote exercise and being more active. The resear...

Gamification of exercise has become a popular topic due to its motivational and engagement effects, which intends to result in increased exercise, activity, health, and fitness for everyday users. At the same time, wearable technologies have become a fast growing industry, providing consumers the ability to conveniently track their state of health...

This paper proposes a model transformation to automatically generate Fault Tree models from UML software models annotated with dependability annotations. The goal is to extend the model-driven software development process with the capability of verifying some important dependability properties (such as reliability, safety) starting early in the sof...