lifeguide

LifeGuide is a new node. Details here will be greatly expanded upon in due course

Why do Social Scientists need LifeGuide?

The internet provides a cost-effective opportunity to provide the general public with 24 hour access to extensive information and advice on any problem. Interactive technology means that the advice can now be specifically 'tailored' to address the particular situation, concerns, beliefs and preferences of each individual, and intensive daily support can be provided for behaviour change in the form of reminders, personalised feedback regarding progress and overcoming obstacles, help with planning, and opportunities for communication with peers.

Web Tools, advice and change

The aim of this project is to develop, evaluate and disseminate an internet-based set of resources (the `LifeGuide') that will allow researchers to flexibly create and modify websites that can provide tailored advice and long-term support for behaviour change. The LifeGuide will allow researchers to easily test the effects of components of the website and immediately modify and improve it based on their findings. The practical benefit will be more rapid development of better website interventions, while the scientific benefit will be a much faster accumulation of knowledge about the effects of different elements of interventions than at present, which will improve our basic understanding of the influences on behaviour.

Collaboration

In our node we will involve a collaborative network of researchers in developing the LifeGuide and then evaluating it by applying it to two very different problems that have relevance to everyone. First, we will examine how effectively the LifeGuide can be used to provide people suffering from colds and 'flu with tailored advice that enables them to cope with their symptoms without consulting their GP. Second, we will evaluate how effectively the LfeGuide can provide support to increase physical activity over a sustained period.