Journal article
Reward‐based or meaningful gaming? A field study on game mechanics and serious games for sustainability
Psychology & Marketing, Vol.38(6), pp.981-1000
2021
Abstract
Despite investigating digital gaming for commercial purposes, less scholarly attention exists on digital gaming for societal purposes such as sustainability (“serious games”). The current study investigates whether a serious game can enhance sustainability marketing outcomes, including knowledge, value-in-behavior, and behavioral intentions longitudinally (pre-gameplay to post-gameplay). Further, the study seeks to understand the influence of reward-based and meaningful game mechanics on these sustainability marketing outcomes. We recruited 387 participants for a week-long field study using a serious game which encourages household energy conservation. The findings show that the serious game significantly increased sustainability knowledge, value-in-behavior, and sustainable behavioral intention after one week. Reward-based game mechanics (badges and trophies) significantly influenced sustainability knowledge and indirectly influenced value-in-behavior via sustainability knowledge, whereas reward-based (points) and meaningful (educational messages) game mechanics had little impact. The results empirically support the conceptual model theorization—underpinned by a “do–learn–feel” behavioral learning approach—which possessed superior fit to a “do–feel–learn” rival model. This study provides novel insights regarding eliciting value-in-behavior longitudinally within serious games. Our multidimensional approach to assessing reward-based game mechanics extends prior studies and suggests that higher-tier rewards are more influential than lower-tiered rewards to achieve sustainability marketing outcomes. We further demonstrate that reward-based game mechanics outperform meaningful game mechanics at influencing desired outcomes, challenging existing gaming literature.
Details
- Title
- Reward‐based or meaningful gaming? A field study on game mechanics and serious games for sustainability
- Authors
- Lucas Whittaker (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyRebekah Russell‐Bennett (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyRory Mulcahy (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, USC Business School - Legacy
- Publication details
- Psychology & Marketing, Vol.38(6), pp.981-1000
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- DOI
- 10.1002/mar.21476
- ISSN
- 1520-6793
- Copyright note
- This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Whittaker, L., Russell-Bennett, R., & Mulcahy, R. (2021). Reward-based or meaningful gaming? A field study on game mechanics and serious games for sustainability. Psychol Mark, 38, 981– 1000. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21476, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21476. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Business and Creative Industries
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99518307702621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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