We recently explored the pros and cons of leaderboards, badges and points. There’s also a psychological component to gamification that reveals how the system influences and impacts user behaviour.
Gamification includes fun “gaming” elements in non-game contexts. This helps increase awareness, motivation, and participation. In the workplace, it can also assist with learning retention.
If applied correctly, gamification should align with the Self-Determination Theory. According to the American Psychological Association, the concept outlines that humans are drawn to activities that meet these core psychological needs: the need for competence (feelings of efficiency); the need for autonomy (the freedom to complete tasks freely without external pressure); and the need for social relatedness (the feeling of belonging to social groups).
Effective gamification practices should also incorporate the Goal Setting Theory of Motivation developed by Edwin Locke in 1968. It states that setting goals are linked to task performance. Gamification elements, such as leaderboards and badges, can assist with goal setting and task completion. Employees, who set specific goals, and receive timely and appropriate feedback from their leaders, will be high performers and complete their tasks at a higher level.
UK online learning platform Growth Engineering states that human behaviour is ultimately a result of motivation – influenced by internal and external factors. The organization explains that internal motivation can include feelings of satisfaction in completing a task, a sense of achievement or self-worth, and the feeling of self-actualization. External motivators such as praise; points, ratings, and rankings; awards, rewards, and prizes; pay raises and promotions, can help trigger engagement and improve results in those who lack internal motivation. Growth Engineering also outlines ways that leaderboards can encourage engagement through rankings, incentives, customization, and collaboration.
The Social Comparison Theory also influences motivation. American social psychologist Leon Festinger wrote that “identifying the differences between yourself and others is essential in providing an understanding of your own abilities and reactions.” And makes for some friendly competition. Gamification aspects such as leaderboards, badges and points can help learners assess their own ranking in comparison to others, encourage social interaction and build community among teams.
Understanding and aligning learning programs to gamification, psychology, and people’s behavioural trends, ensures employees stay motivated and dedicated not only to their tasks at hand, but to the entire company.
At Glass of Learning, we have designed our own proprietary gamification learning transfer platform, Leadership Road™. This platform supports the theory in this blog:
- Builds individual self-efficacy as learners practice and apply their learning.
- Creates social groups of participant cohorts who banter on an internal discussion forum, share success stories and nominate peers for support and development observed.
- Goals are established before the program begins, and leaders are provided detailed roles on how to support the learning process to ensure success.
- Participants visibly see the rankings of their peers and share openly successes and challenges in the process.
- Live and virtual sessions work to build culture and camaraderie so that participants can support and engage their peers if there are challenges in completing the tasks on the gamification platform.
For more information on badges, points and leaderboards and how you can implement this, contact us.
