Interaction Design and Architecture(s) Journal - IxD&A, N.19, 2013, pp.

28-37

Psychological Perspectives on Motivation through

Gamification

Michael Sailer1, Jan Hense2, Heinz Mandl1 and Markus Klevers3

1
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Empirical Education and Educational
Psychology, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802 Munich, Germany
2
Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Higher Education Learning and Evaluation,
Otto-Behagel-Str. 10F, 35394 Gießen, Germany
3
Technische Universität München, Institute for Materials Handling, Material Flow and
Logistics, Boltzmannstr. 15, 85748 Garching, Germany
[email protected]

Abstract. Gamification is an innovative approach to foster motivation. It refers

to the use of game elements in non-game contexts. This article adopts a
differentiated view on the topic of gamification and investigates, how and why
different game elements can address different motivational mechanisms. At
first, the concept of gamification and specific game elements characteristic of
gamification are described. After that, different motivational perspectives were
analyzed and motivational mechanisms in form of effect hypotheses were
derived from these perspectives. To investigate the motivational pull of
gamification, game elements are matched with motivational mechanisms. Our
theoretical inquiry shows that gamification potentially addresses motivational
mechanisms and thereby fosters motivation. These theoretical results can be
used for the effective design of gamification environments and represent a basis
for empirical research. Further research is required to confirm these theoretical
findings.

Keywords: gamification, motivation, game elements, psychological

perspectives, motivational mechanisms

1 Introduction

When watching players playing games – especially video games – it is evident that
the motivational and emotional involvement during playing can be immense [1]. The
basic idea of gamification is to use this motivational power of games for other
purposes not solely related to entertaining purposes of the game itself. This idea
originally coming from marketing spread to different contexts involving business [2]
and education [3]. Gamification environments are currently used with aims as diverse
as influencing environmental behavior, motivating for physical workout, fostering
safe driving behavior, or enhancing learning in schools and training. The increasing
awareness level of such gamification environments led to scientific investigations
mostly originating from the fields of media science and business. Though
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gamification is often supposed to be an effective instrument to foster motivation [2-5],

research and investigations about the motivational pull of gamification from a
psychological perspective is scarce.
The aim of this article is to adopt a differentiated view on the topic of gamification
and to analyze single game elements used in gamification by investigating the
motivational mechanisms they try to address. Thereby the motivational pull of
exemplary game elements will be explained from a psychological perspective. This
article provides a basis for psychological research and design guidelines for
application of gamification in practice by adopting a psychological approach on
gamification.
In the upcoming section, the basic concept of gamification will be presented and
different elements used in gamification will be highlighted (section 2). After
examining different psychological perspectives on motivation, motivational
mechanisms will be derived from these perspectives (section 3). Different game
elements and motivational mechanisms will be combined and discussed in the
following chapter (section 4). In the last section implications for further research on
the topic of gamification will be outlined (section 5).

2 Gamification as an Innovative Approach to Foster Motivation

The principle to apply elements from games in another context and use them for other
purposes is not an entirely new invention by gamification designers or researchers.
Similar approaches can be observed in loyalty programs like frequent-flyer programs
or bonus programs from credit card providers, who take quite a similar approach.
Although gamification has been used in different contexts and some applications
seem to have positive effects regarding motivation and learning [6, 7], there is a lack
of theoretical underpinnings and empirical research regarding the motivational effects
of gamification. Yet a concept of gamification has been described and game elements
used in gamfication have been identified. Accordingly, in the following section a
definition of gamification with its four components will be introduced.

2.1 The Concept of Gamification

Conceptually gamification can be defined as “the use of game design elements in non-
game contexts” [8]. Taking a closer look at the definition, four components are of
importance:
1. The term game is usually understood to imply the following situational
components: a goal, which has to be achieved; limiting rules which determine how
to reach the goal; a feedback system which provides information about progress
towards the goal; and the fact that participation is voluntary [5].
2. The term element helps to distinguish the concept of gamification from serious
games, which describe full-fledged games for non-entertainment purposes [9].
Gamification on the other hand refers to the explicit use of particular elements of
games (cf. section 2.2.) in non-gaming contexts.
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3. The term design refers to the use of game design instead of game-based
technologies or practices of the wider game ecology [9].
4. As stated before, the area of application of gamification is very broad. To take
account of that and to prevent limiting the definition to certain contexts, the area
of application is just described by the term non-game-contexts [8].
This working definition with its related components is very broad. It helps to
distinguish gamification from other concepts related to gaming and provides a basis
for investigations without constricting the phenomenon. Though gamification is
mostly associated with digital technology, gamification is not solely related to digital
media. Non-digital realizations are possible as well [8].
In the next section, different forms of gamification will be discussed by presenting
exemplary elements used in gamification.

2.2 Game Elements

The main ingredients of gamification are game elements, which describe the specific
and characteristic components of games that can be applied in gamification [2]. There
have been different attempts to create lists of those game elements, which can be
applied in gamification [2, 3, 4, 10]. Starting with a triad of points, badges and
leaderboards, which can be described as very typical game elements within
gamification, Werbach and Hunter [2] provide different levels of abstractions of
elements. They distinguish between dynamics, which constitute the big picture
aspects, mechanics, which describe the basic processes, and components, which are
specific instantiations of dynamics and mechanics [2]. Other authors provide detailed
lists of elements with their functions in various gamification settings [10]. Kapp [3]
lists typical game elements like goals, rules conflict, competition, cooperation, time,
reward structures, feedback, levels, storytelling, curve of interest and aesthetics. All
these attempts should help to grasp how diverse game elements could possibly look
like, but they should be understood as non-exhaustive lists. The different authors
follow distinct strategies for their attempts to create such lists. One is to create liberal
sets of elements found in any game. Another strategy is to provide a constrained set of
elements, which are unique to specific games. By providing lists of elements which
are characteristic to most games and which play an important role in gameplay is an
attempt to meet both strategies [2, 9].
Typical game elements, which will be discussed in this article, are points, badges,
leaderboards, progress bars, performance graphs, quests, meaningful stories, avatars
and profile development. These elements can be found on a surface level and can in
most cases be described as components:
1. Points can be accumulated for certain activities within the gamification
environment.
2. Badges are visual representations of achievements, which can be collected within
the gamification environment.
3. Leaderboards are lists of all players, usually ranked by their success.
4. Progress bars provide information about the current status of a player towards a
goal.
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5. Performance graphs provide information about a players’ performance, compared

to previous performance.
6. Quests are little tasks, players have to fulfil within a game.
7. Meaningful stories players live trough within gamification.
8. Avatars are visual representations a player can choose within gamification.
9. Profile development refers to the development of avatars and attitudes belonging
to such avatars.
All these elements fulfill different functions. Before these functions will be
described and linked to motivational pull of each element, an overview of
psychological perspectives on motivation will be introduced in the next section. Thus
motivational mechanisms will be derived from each perspective, which will be linked
to above mentioned elements.

3 Perspectives on Motivational Mechanisms within Gamification

Motivation refers to psychological processes that are responsible for initiating and
continuing goal directed behaviours [11]. Within motivational research, different
attempts have been undertaken to explain direction, persistence and intensity of
certain behaviour [12].
In motivation research six principal perspectives can be differentiated, which can
become relevant within gamification: the trait perspective, the behaviourist learning
perspective, the cognitive perspective, the perspective of self-determination, the
perspective of interest [13] and the perspective of emotion [14]. These perspectives do
not necessarily contradict each other, but they concentrate on different components,
which become relevant in different degrees depending on the focus of the perspective
[13].
What can we actually learn from these perspectives on motivation? Each
perspective provides implications for practice. As we are interested in how different
game elements could motivate in given situations, these perspectives have to be
analyzed precisely in a process-oriented way. Therefore motivational perspectives
were examined for motivational mechanisms, which potentially could be addressed by
certain game elements. These motivational mechanisms are described as basic effect
hypotheses. After a short description of the perspective itself, hypotheses will be
formulated within the context of gamification:
1. From a trait perspective general classes of motives and needs can evoke
motivation. These motives are conceptualized as individual characteristics, which
are relatively stable over time and contexts and have a strong influence on
behaviour. Important motives in this perspective are achievement motive, need for
power, and need for affiliation [15, 16]. So given the three most prominent
motives, three motivational mechanisms can be derived from this perspective:
a) Players with a strong achievement motive are likely to be motivated if
gamification emphasizes achievement, success and progress.
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b) Players with a strong power motive are likely to be motivated if gamification

emphasizes status, control and competition.
c) Players with a strong affiliation motive are likely to be motivated if
gamification emphasizes membership.
2. From a behaviourist learning perspective, motivation results from past positive
and negative reinforcements, which influence the probability of future behaviour.
Motivation is seen as the result of previous experiences, which typically consist of
previously composed stimulus-response bonds [17]. Performance-related
immediate feedback is a central mechanism for motivation:
a) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification provides immediate feedback
in form of positive and negative reinforcement.
b) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification offers rewards.
3. The cognitive perspective describes motivation as the result of means-ends
analyses. These so called expectancy x value models postulate that motivation is
dependent upon situation-specific goals, expectancies regarding the outcome of
one’s action or the situation itself, expectancies regarding the consequences of the
outcome and the subjective value of these consequences [18, 19]. Thus internal
processes, such as expectancies, estimations, and assessments, play a major role in
cognitive theories of motivation. Another focus of such theories is goal
orientation, which can be influenced by situational variables. Performance
orientation and mastery orientation can be differentiated [11]. While performance
orientation refers to exceeding certain standards of peers, mastery orientation
refers to self-defined standards and can foster learning and intrinsic regulation of
motivation [11]. Motivational mechanisms within this perspective address goals,
expectancies, values of consequences:
a) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification provides a clear and
achievable goal.
b) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification highlights the resulting
consequences of a goal.
c) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification emphasizes the importance
of a persons’ action within a given situation.
d) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification fosters mastery orientation
regarding goals.
4. The perspective of self-determination focuses on the social-contextual conditions
that facilitate versus forestall motivational processes. Self-determination theory
postulates three universal psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and
social relatedness [20]. The fulfilment of these needs is especially relevant for
fostering intrinsic motivation, which is a desired motivational state. Intrinsic
motivation is defined as the wish or tendency to execute an action for its own sake,
for example because of its interesting, challenging or exiting nature [21]. The
reasons for executing the task are lying in the task itself [22]. The integration of
extrinsic motivation can be addresses by fulfilling these needs as well [23].
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Correspondingly to that theory motivational mechanisms target these universal

psychological needs:
a) Players are likely to be motivated if they experience the feeling of
competence.
b) Players are likely to be motivated if they experience the feeling of autonomy.
c) Players are likely to be motivated if they experience the feeling of social
relatedness.
5. The perspective of interest takes individual preferences and content aspects in
account. Researchers constitute interest as a motivational variable that is content
specific and evolves in interaction with the environment. Hereby interest is both a
affective and cognitive variable [24]. From this perspective motivation results from
the relation of a person and the subject matter of a task or environment. In an ideal
constellation this can lead to the complete immersion of a person within a task,
which is called the feeling of flow [25]. Motivational Mechanisms address interest
and flow:
a) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification meets the players’ interests
and sparks interest for the situational context.
b) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification enhances the feeling of flow
by providing direct feedback.
c) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification enhances the feeling of flow
by providing a clear goal.
d) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification enables the feeling of flow
by adapting the level of difficulty to ones’ individual skills and competences.
6. The perspective of emotion focuses on the roles of emotions in cognitive and
motivational processes. Emotions interact with these cognitive and motivational
processes and can be influenced by instructional strategies. Research tries to
outline implication for the emotional design of instruction [14]. Basic strategies,
which can be used within that approach, are described as motivational
mechanisms:
a) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification decreases negative feelings
like fear, envy, and anger.
b) Players are likely to be motivated if gamification increases positive feelings
like sympathy and pleasure.
The described perspectives should not be seen as contradicting views on
motivation and motivational design. They just focus on different aspects. For the
subject of gamification motivational mechanisms have two functions: They can be
used to inquire the motivational pull of game elements and they should be considered
for designing motivating gamification environments. In the next section, these
insights from motivational psychology will be adapted to gamification.
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4 Matching Motivational Mechanisms and Game Elements

After game elements and motivational mechanisms have been introduced, the
question arises, which motivational mechanisms can be addressed by certain game
elements. The answer to this question could be given by providing a sophisticated
matrix with game elements listed in the rows and motivational mechanisms listed in
the columns. Thereby the different motivational functions of game elements would
become visible. As such a matrix would exceed the scope of this article, selected
game elements (cf. section 2.2) will be analyzed and matched with the motivational
mechanisms (cf. section 3) they primarily trigger.
1. Points are very basic game elements. Although they seem to be very simple at a
first glance, they can address motivational mechanisms mostly referring to a
behaviourist learning perspective. The primary mechanisms are the following:
- Points function as immediate positive reinforcements (cf. mechanisms 2a and
5b).
- Points can be seen as mostly virtual rewards, provided for executed actions
(cf. mechanism 2b).
2. Badges are visual representations of achievements. Such badges systems can take
different levels of complexity. Main motivational mechanisms addressed by badges
are the following:
- Badges fulfill the players’ need for success and thereby address people with a
strong power motive (cf. mechanism 1b).
- Badges work as virtual status symbols and thereby address people with a
strong power motive (cf. mechanism 1b).
- Badges function as a form of group identification by communicating shared
experiences and activities [26] and thereby address people with a strong
affiliation motive (cf. mechanism 1c).
- Badges also have a goal setting function (cf. mechanisms 3a and 5c).
- Badges can foster the players’ feeling of competence (cf. mechanism 4a).
3. Leaderboards provide information about a players’ success. Regarding motivation,
this element can be seen critical, as only some people will stand on top of such
leaderboards, while most of the other players will end up – presumably
demotivated – at the bottom. Nevertheless leaderboards can also address certain
mechanisms and if designed as team-score displays, they could show some
additional motivational effects.
- Individual leaderboards foster competition and address achievement and
power motives (cf. mechanisms 1a and 1b).
- For players at the top of leaderboards, feelings of competence can arise (cf.
mechanism 4a)
- leaderboards, which provide a team-score, can foster the team members
feelings of social relatedness, as they emphasise collaboration and community
activities provided by shared goals and opportunities for shared experiences
(cf. mechanisms 4c).
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4. Progress bars and performance graphs each focus on individual players and their
progress. While progress bars symbolize progression towards a goal, performance
graphs furthermore compare the individual scores to previously achieved scores.
The following mechanisms are activated:
- Both progress bars and performance graphs provide feedback (cf. mechanism
5b).
- Progress bars provide clear goals (cf. mechanisms 3a and 5c)
- Performance graphs compare players’ performance to previous performances
and thereby focus on improvement and foster a mastery orientation regarding
goals (cf. mechanism 3d).
5. Quests are little tasks, which usually show a person the directly linked rewards.
This fosters the transparency of a possible success of action. Thus following
motivational mechanisms are primarily addressed:
- Quests provide clear goals (cf. mechanisms 3a and 5c).
- Quests highlight resulting consequences of a goal (cf. mechanism 3b).
- Quests emphasize importance of a players’ action within a giver situation (cf.
mechanism 3c).
6. Meaningful stories are often wrapped around certain activities. This stories primary
activate the following mechanisms:
- Stories can meet the players’ interest and spark interest for the situational
context (cf. mechanism 5a).
- By offering a variety of stories and meaningful choices within the stories,
feelings of autonomy can arise (cf. mechanism 4b).
- Inspiring stories can also foster and increase positive feelings (cf. mechanism
6b).
7. Avatars and profile development relate to a player’s visual representation in form
of a chosen character, which can take different developmental stages. Primary
motivational mechanisms are the following:
- Choices regarding the offered avatars, which are leading to different forms of
gameplay, can foster feelings of autonomy (cf. mechanism 4b).
- Positive feelings and emotional bonds can arise by providing avatars and by
taking a developmental progress with the avatar (cf. mechanism 5b).
Single elements can help to enhance certain feelings, like feelings of competence,
autonomy and social relatedness, but these feelings tend to refer to an overall
experience within the gamification environment. Also emotions rather refer to an
experience, the player undergoes within gamification, then to single elements. Thus it
is important to be aware of the relationship of different elements. Single elements
fulfill different functions, but in interaction with each other they can have varying and
complex motivational effects.
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5 Conclusion and Implications

Our analysis of different theories of motivation showed, that from a theoretical point
of view gamification has the potential to foster motivation in different contexts.
Exemplary game elements can be linked to motivational mechanisms, found in
motivational theories and research.
By matching the different motivational mechanisms with corresponding game
elements, three main components stick out and become relevant when inquiring
motivation through gamification or when designing gamification environments: One
aspect is the person. It is important to inquire the target group, which will be
addressed by gamification. The second aspect is the gamification environment itself.
Hereby motivational theories offer guidelines for the effective design of such
environments and help to analyze why certain game elements have a motivational
pull. The third aspect is the context. The context can be described as the content or
topic of a task or the overall situation itself. Each of these aspects has to be considered
while analyzing and designing gamification environments.
From a research perspective, more empirical research should be undertaken to
investigate if theoretical underpinnings can be confirmed. To get insights in the
motivational pull of specific elements, experimental designs including varying game
elements should help to get further insights.

Acknowledgments. Work on this paper was partly funded by the German Federal
Ministry of Economics and Technology via the German Federal Logistics Association
(grant no. 456 ZN).

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