MindTrails is a web application that allows participants to practice thinking about situations in new ways. It is an ongoing research project underway at UVA to assess the efficacy of online interventions using Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM), a mHealth program to train healthier thinking styles. Anyone dealing with anxiety is encouraged to follow the link, sign up for an account and try out our latest efforts. It is free. Please check it out!
We are running the study in very much the same way you might attempt to launch a new product. At the core is a modern Angular user interface that delivers a game-like experience to escort users through a series of exercises. Around this we are using Java to capture detailed data about user behavior and lots of web forms to track their progress on a series of measures. We award gift cards and have numerous checks to assure users are not using bots to mine money from the site. There are automated email messages, and SMS text messages to keep users engaged. We are working with Google Optimize to run A/B split testing, and Google Analytics to manage attrition and track campaigns. There is a lot of experience to be gained just by coming to our meetings.
We are interested in working with a team of CS Students to develop a new mobile application based on our existing platform. While our current web application is mobile friendly, we believe a native app could target a different audience and provide training at critical moments based upon user context. Some initial experience developing native mobile applications would be helpful. We could support the team with integration points into our existing framework. There are green-field aspects to this project, as we think through how a native application can best be used for training. Attrition in studies of this nature is high, so this endeavor will require the team to make something truly engaging and fun to use, in the face of some repetitive exercises, not unlike Duolingo.
Bethany Teachman