Gamification is not one monolithic thingGamification is not one monolithic thing
When people think of gamification, they tend to think of points, badges, and leaderboards. They make claims like "gamification is good for engagement” or “gamification should only come in at X stage." Academic researchers will research questions like “is gamification effective?” This is based on the assumption that gamification is a monolithic thing.
However, gamification can be done without feeling like gamification, without points, without badges, without extrinsic rewards. This is becaus..., so asking when it is appropriate is like asking when design is appropriate. To me, it's really an exploration of the fact that Game designers and behavioral scientists are asking many of the same questionsGame designers and behavioral scientists are asking many of the same questions
Game designers have been designing for digital behavior change for longer than just about anyone. They design the environment that the users interact with and the rules through which all of the user's actions are interpreted. The goal of game design is to influence user behavior to create an intended experience. They are doing Behavioral Product Strategy.
As such, game designers are asking many of the same questions as applied behavioral scientists.
How do we design meaningful choices? A fr.... It's about taking inspiration from game design and behavioral science to influence voluntary user behavior.
Every app is designed for behavior change, intentionally or unintentionallyEvery app is designed for behavior change, intentionally or unintentionally
As described in The Kurt Lewin Equation, people’s behavior is influenced by the relationship between who they are and the context of their situation. While the user is paying attention, the app controls a portion of the user’s digital context. As such, app design exerts significant influence over user behavior, whether you designed it intentionally with this purpose in mind or not.
The large majority of behavioral science research can effectively be summarized as “here’s how this environment.... From an ethical perspective, I'm just trying to make sure that I'm intentional about helping the user to close the Intention-Behavior GapIntention-Behavior Gap
definition: The intention-behavior gap describes the discrepancy between what a person intends to do and what they actually do.
Sheeran, Paschal & Webb, Thomas. (2016). The Intention–Behavior Gap. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 10. 503-518. 10.1111/spc3.12265.
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If I know their intention and current behavior, I can influence them to make them more likely to close the gap. If I don't know their intention, then I can design the choice architecture so users reveal their intentions to me. Once I know those intentions, I can influence them to increase their odds of success.
So I'm not sure if there is a time when I'm not at least considering principles of behavioral influence in the design, whether I'm guiding behavior or listening to intentions.