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How Am I Doing? The Effects of Gamification and Social Sharing on User Engagement
Oana Dan
Nielsen
Jennie Lai
Nielsen
Game mechanics and concepts ("gamification"), as well as virtual sharing within social networks, are emerging tools to increase participation and cooperation in surveys. Smartphones have greatly facilitated the development of interactive measurement instruments that are able to challenge and encourage respondents, to evaluate their behavior, and to broadcast it to others. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of gamification and social sharing on respondent engagement have not been fully unpacked. These mechanisms may be extrinsic (active interaction or competition with other participants) or intrinsic (reflexive evaluation of one's own performance. This paper assesses these two mechanisms, relying on data from a 6-week study of an innovative mobile application to measure media consumption behavior. The iPhone app allowed users to record what they watched on TV, to earn badges and "ranks", and to share their accomplishments with other users. Mixed-effects panel models show that self-evaluation (checking how one is doing) and positive reinforcement from others increase engagement, whereas extroverted interactions (sharing one's performance with others) decrease it.