Thematic Research: Gamification and online consumer decisions: Is the game over?

This study aims to explore the mechanisms which can impact online consumer decisions through the use of gamification.

The study found that Rewards and Challenge were the main two mechanisms which allowed for the increase of costumer consumption. Points , leaderboards and a clear goal were also another medium of affordance which was achieved through gamification.

Furthermore, Rainers and Wood highlight that in the case of reward-based gamification, the rewards must be constant and the “conditioned behaviour” which is encouraged through the design of the gamification disappears as soon as the rewards do.

Further mechanisms that were also found to encourage a conditioned behaviour or participation from a targeted audience is social influence and interactivity.

Reference:

T. Reiners, L.C. Wood (2015) Gamification in Education and Business. Springer International Publishing, School of Information Systems, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia , 10.1007/978-3-319-10208-5

Tobon S. Ruiz- Alba J. Garcia- Matariaga J. (2020) Gamification and online consumer decisions: Is the game over? Decision Support Systems, 01/2020, Volume 128