Desperately Seeking Theory: Gamification, Theory, and the Promise of a Data/AI-Driven New Science of Design
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The document discusses the urgent need for a theoretical framework in gamification to enhance design science by addressing how cognitive states influence behavior and design features. It highlights the limitations of current gamification practices and advocates for the development of an empirical taxonomy and mechanistic models to better understand motivational processes. The author calls for a new approach that integrates research into a large-scale design lab for practical experimentation and knowledge advancement.
Desperately Seeking Theory: Gamification, Theory, and the Promise of a Data/AI-Driven New Science of Design
- 1. DESPERATELY SEEKING THEORY Gamification, Theory, and the Promise of a Data/AI-Driven New Science of Design #GamifIR 2016 Sebastian Deterding @dingstweets
- 3. we are stuck in a groundhog day
- 5. MU
- 9. some better questions What active substance in what dosage affects what condition under what circumstances? How? Do 500 mg of orally administered acetylsalicylic acid affect migraine in adult chronic migraine patients? How? Do publicly displayed achievements linked to publicly known as hard-to-attain goals support goal- setting in achievement-oriented individuals? How?
- 10. To ask such questions, we need theory
- 11. what is theory? (a quick refresh) A theory is a set of statements expressing a nomological network of constructs and their relations. It is tied to observable phenomena through operationalisations. Whitney, Kite & Adams, 2013; Cronbah & Meehl, 1955
- 12. why theory? (a quick refresh) Whitney, Kite & Adams, 2013 • Allows to describe, explain, predict, and control reality • Allows to systematically organise and extend knowledge
- 13. without theory, no science
- 15. This is a grandquestion inviting a new science of design
- 16. the current basic mediation model design element 2 magic motivation! behaviour design element 1 design element 3 e.g. Hamari, Koivisto & Sarsa, 2014
- 17. the state of gamification theory
- 19. So where is the issue?
- 20. design element 2 magic motivation! behaviour design element 1 design element 3 the issues with design elements
- 21. the state of gamification theory “… a certain Chinese encyclopaedia entitled ‘Celestial Empire of benevolent Knowledge’. In its remote pages it is written that the animals are divided into: (a) belonging to the emperor, (b) embalmed, (c) tame, (d) sucking pigs (e) sirens, (f) fabulous, (g) stray dogs, (h) included in the present classification, (i) frenzied, (j) innumerable, (k) drawn with a very fine camelhair brush, (l) et cetera, (m) having just broken the water pitcher, (n) that from a long way off look like flies.” issue #1 we have chinese encyclopaedias
- 24. when is “a badge” a badge? issue #2
- 25. all exegesis, no discovery of new species issue #3
- 26. we’re stuck on low-level design features issue #3a Deterding et al., 2011 where the action is
- 27. we need a linné
- 28. an empirically grounded, well-operationalised, well-formed taxonomy of design elements
- 29. this is a massive undertaking
- 30. design element 2 magic motivation! behaviour design element 1 design element 3 the issues with motivational processes
- 32. johnmarshall reeve »Motivation’s new paradigm is one in which behavior is energized and directed not by a single grand cause but, instead, by a multitude of multilevel and coacting influences.« understanding motivation & emotion (2009: 45)
- 33. gaming motives Competence Autonomy Relatedness Meaning Curiosity Absorption (»flow«) Control beliefs Goal-setting Recognition, belonging, power Identity/Self Emotions Habituation …
- 34. design element 1 design element 2 design element 3 behaviour competence autonomy relatedness meaning curiosity ...
- 35. Aparicio et al., 2012 Sailer et al., 2013 Zhang, 2008 Zichermann& Cunningham,2011 none of this is empirically tested issue #2
- 37. Elements are multi-functional Antin & Churchill 2011 goal-settinginstruction group identification status reputation issue #3
- 38. design element 1 design element 2 design element 3 behaviour competence autonomy relatedness meaning curiosity ...
- 39. feedback appraised as controlling thwarts autonomy motivation appraised as informing supports competence + – motivational function is an appraisal issue #4 Deci & Ryan 2001
- 40. design element 1 design element 2 design element 3 behaviour competence autonomy relatedness meaning curiosity ... appraisal
- 41. motivation and appraisal are contextual issue #5
- 42. Reeve, 2006
- 43. license to reconfigure & leave Deterding, 2016
- 45. situation element 1-n design element 1 design element 2 behaviour competence autonomy relatedness meaning curiosity ... appraisal situation
- 46. different people, different motives issue #6
- 47. trait level Croson & Gneezy, 2000
- 48. state level Bowman & Tamborini, 2013
- 49. situation element 1-n design element 1 design element 2 behaviour competence autonomy relatedness meaning curiosity ... appraisal situation person
- 50. http://www.flickr.com/photos/8147452@N05/2913356030/sizes/o/ motivational function is systemic-dynamic issue #7
- 51. AestheticsMechanics Dynamics Hunicke, LeBlanc & Zubek mda: a formal approach to game design (2004)
- 52. Monopoly aesthetic Frustrating end game mechanic dynamic Slow poverty gap +$ !+ -$ !-
- 53. Difficulty Skill/Time frustration boredom function is a dynamic person-situation relation »flow«
- 54. points badges leaderboards Tracking, Feedback Goals, surprise Competition we focus on features … when we should look at how features in relation to dispositions afford motivational functions
- 56. http://www.flickr.com/photos/amrufm/2593920251/sizes/z/in/photostream/ e.g. curiosity Silva, 2006
- 57. http://www.flickr.com/photos/amrufm/2593920251/sizes/z/in/photostream/ e.g. Meaningfulness Wong, 2012
- 58. motivational affordance The complex of necessary and sufficient relations of actor dispositions and environment features that render an action or event functionally significant for a specific motive Deterding, under review
- 59. competence autonomy relatedness meaning curiosity ... appraisal p/s relation affordance 1 p/s relation affordance 2 p/s relation affordance 3 behaviour
- 63. jad abumrad »Facebook has created a laboratory of human behavior the likes of which we’ve never seen.« the trust engineers (2015)
- 64. At any moment, software companies are running millions of a/B tests to optimise user engagement, each of which is an experiment in waiting
- 65. the scale for a massive undertaking
- 66. design is being automated
- 68. But to know what to test & how to automate, you need … theory
- 69. »Online hypothesis testing can accelerate both applied and basic Interaction Design Science by making it fast and easy to obtain ecologically- valid measures of the effects of designs on user behavior. Online controlled experiments can help build practical, generalizable, and scientifically- validated theories of how and why designs affect human interactions.« derek Lomas optimizing motivation and learning with large- scale game design experiments (2014: 7)
- 70. derek Lomas optimizing motivation and learning with large- scale game design experiments (2014: 7)
- 71. Data, suggestions Designs/tweaks Theories, formalisations, indicators Data, indicators researcher designeruser Adapted content & interface Experience & behaviour data data/ai
- 72. an example
- 73. »flow« Difficulty Skill/time frustration boredom flow (1990) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi basic theory
- 74. Difiiculty Skill/time frustration boredom what’s the optimal curve? Alexander, Sear & Oikonomou, 2013; Sampayo-Vargas et al., 2013; Brazil & Blau, 2014
- 76. Difficulty Skill/time crowdsourcing tasks are predetermined ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
- 77. Difficulty Skill/time ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Difficulty is unknown; identification may obsolete crowdsourcing crowdsourcing tasks are predetermined
- 78. Difficulty Skill/time ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? … hence tasks are often randomly served crowdsourcing tasks are predetermined
- 79. %Playerretained Time/levels * idealised tutorial actual tasks * hence retention is very poor
- 81. Difficulty Skill/time How to order tasks w/o solving? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? the question ? ? ?
- 82. Difficulty Skill/time ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? … which requires skill concepts & indicators player x Pattern recognition: 7/10 Spatial rotation: 2/10
- 83. Difficulty Skill/time ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? player x Pattern recognition: 7/10 Spatial rotation: 2/10 … which requires difficulty concepts & indicators task y Pattern recognition: 7/10 Spatial rotation: 2/10
- 84. Performance data Improvement suggestions Task length design Task descriptions Initial balancing theories Initial indicators of skill Optimal difficulty curve Indicators for skill, difficulty researcher designeruser Task sequence & task support & feedback Engagement & performance data data/ai
- 85. <3> summary
- 86. to get out of groundhog day …
- 87. we need to ask better questions …
- 88. to systematically build knowledge …
- 89. how do cognitive states affect behaviour affectdesign features ? … for a grand new science of design.
- 90. To ask such questions, we need theory
- 91. and we must abandon scholasticism.
- 92. we need better, empirical taxonomies …
- 93. competence autonomy relatedness meaning curiosity ... appraisal p/s relation affordance 1 p/s relation affordance 2 p/s relation affordance 3 behaviour … and better, empirical mechanistic models.
- 94. this is a massive undertaking …
- 95. with a matching massive opportunity.
- 96. we can be at the forefront of design evolution …
- 97. … if we loop research into the world’s largest design lab that is running every day. Data, suggestions Designs/tweaks Theories, formalisations, indicators Data, indicators researcher designeruser Adapted content & interface Experience & behaviour data data/ai