Exploring Common and Unique Fitness App Affordances

Fitness apps have the potential to monitor users and motivate them to engage in regular exercise, enhancing exercise efficiency and promoting health awareness. However, despite their widespread popularity, the effectiveness of these apps is heavily reliant on users' long-term engagement. Research indicates that many users tend to disengage after just a few uses or within a few months. Key factors contributing to this discontinuation include app design, usability, and data accuracy. In light of this, we aim to conduct a study that identifies the affordances of fitness apps based on existing literature while also exploring any previously undiscovered affordances. Guided by affordance theory, we propose that technology offers both common affordances (perceived by most users) and unique ones (perceived by only a select few). By uncovering these affordances, we can gain a deeper understanding of how fitness apps support users in their exercise activities with diverse goals. To achieve this, we will conduct a literature review in accordance following accepted Information Systems (IS) literature review guidelines to identify recognized affordances in fitness app studies. Additionally, we will administer a survey targeting current fitness app users to determine their primary motivations for using these apps. Our focus will be on fitness apps with substantial user bases to discover their affordances. The findings from both the literature review and the survey will be analyzed in terms of common and unique affordances. Common affordances are those identified by multiple studies or corroborated by the survey results, while unique affordances are those recognized by only one study without support from others or the survey data.