How gamification motivates: An experimental study of the effects of specific game design elements on psychological need satisfaction
Summary
The scientific resource discusses the effects of different game design elements on psychological need satisfaction within the context of gamification. It utilizes a self-determination theory framework to investigate the impact of specific game elements on fulfilling basic psychological needs such as competence, autonomy, and social relatedness. The study includes an experimental simulation focusing on order-picking tasks in a digital environment. Participants were assigned to different experimental conditions with varying game design elements activated. The research questions aimed to assess the effects of these elements on psychological need satisfaction, specifically competence, autonomy in decision-making and task meaningfulness, and social relatedness. The methodology involved recruiting participants online, conducting a simulation study, and evaluating psychological need satisfaction through a post-game questionnaire. Treatment checks were performed to ensure participants recognized the game elements in their specific conditions. The findings highlighted the potential of game design elements to influence psychological need satisfaction in gamified contexts.
Key Topics
- Gamification: Utilizing game design elements in non-game contexts.
- Psychological Need Satisfaction: Addressing the basic human needs of competence, autonomy, and social relatedness.
- Self-Determination Theory: Framework used to study motivation and psychological needs.
- Experimental Study: Investigating the effects of game design elements on motivation through a simulation environment.
- Competence: Feeling of efficiency and success in interacting with the environment.
- Autonomy: Psychological freedom and volition in decision-making and task engagement.
- Social Relatedness: Feelings of belonging and attachment within a group context.
Abstract
The theory of formative assessment outlined in this article is relevant to a broad spectrum of learning outcomes in a wide variety of subjects. Specifically, it applies wherever multiple criteria are used in making judgments about the quality of student responses. The theory has less relevance for outcomes in which student responses may be assessed simply as correct or incorrect. Feedback is defined in a particular way to highlight its function in formative assessment. This definition differs in several significant respects from that traditionally found in educational research. Three conditions for effective feedback are then identified and their implications discussed. A key premise is that for students to be able to improve, they must develop the capacity to monitor the quality of their own work during actual production. This, in turn, requires that students possess an appreciation of what high quality work is, that they have the evaluative skill necessary for them to compare with some objectivity the quality of what they are producing in relation to the higher standard, and that they develop a store of tactics or moves which can be drawn upon to modify their own work. It is argued that these skills can be developed by providing direct authentic evaluative experience for students. Instructional systems which do not make explicit provision for the acquisition of evaluative expertise are deficient, because they set up artificial but potentially removable performance ceilings for students.
Reference
Sailer, M., Hense, J. U., Mayr, S. K., & Mandl, H. (2017). How gamification motivates: An experimental study of the effects of specific game design elements on psychological need satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 371–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.033