WalkMore: Exploring the Role of a Personalized Humorous Nudge Architecture on People's Walking Behavior

Approximately 31% of the global population is insufficiently active, leading to 3.2 million deaths annually. Sedentary behavior increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, and metabolic disorders. To improve adherence to behavior change interventions, this study introduces personalized humorous nudging for walking behavior. Following a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design, participants (N=100) received either humorous or non-humorous nudges via a Telegram-based chatbot, "WalkMore," encouraging daily walks for 7 days. We used the AICTP smart nudge framework (Activity, Influence, Content, Time frame, Presentation) and added humor to the presentation component. Results showed a significant relationship between walking and humor (F=6.48, p<0.05). Manipulation check items reported the nudges' average funniness rating as 3.48 in experimental group and average personalization rating as 3.64 in control group. The findings indicate efficacy of the proposed augmented nudge framework for behavior change.