Gamification summit nyc_2011

What Motivates Gamers?
Jon Radoff
Gamification Summit, New York City
September 16, 2011

B. F. Skinner
Behaviorism posited that learning is the key instinct animals have—and that all behaviors result from reward reinforcements.

Many game designers think of humans as rats in a cage.

The cognitive niche: stories, language, symbols, ideas,
theories, thought experiments, simulations…
Leaf van Boven and Thomas Gilovich. “To Do or to Have? That is the Question.” American Psychological Association. 85.6 (2003): 1198. Reprinted with permission.

The social niche: humans spread across the globe due to our social cooperation, and our social interconnectedness continues to grow.
Photo Credit alexkess(Flickr)

Digital connections yield social and neural connections.
Flickr Image CreditLHijodHuskona

Distribution of Smiling Faces on Facebook
Happy people cluster.
Unhappy people cluster.
SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESS By Nicholas A. Christakis & James H. Fowler

Experiences = More Happiness than Things
Leaf van Boven and Thomas Gilovich. “To Do or to Have? That is the Question.” American Psychological Association. 85.6 (2003): 1198. Reprinted with permission.

Distribution of Smiling Faces on Facebook
Happy people cluster.
Unhappy people cluster.
SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESS By Nicholas A. Christakis & James H. Fowler

MarnGrook ball

Backgammon Board from Ancient Rome
Photo Credit: Ian W Scott

Medieval backgammon players from the Codex Manesse (14th Century Zurich)

Mathiak & Weber (2006),
“Toward brain correlates of natural behavior: fMRI during violent video games.” Human Brain Mapping.
Research showed that violent as well as prosocial behaviors in video games approximate exposure to natural experiences;
Games activate a lot of brain regions!

Bartle’s Player Motivations
Richard Bartle (1996), "Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who suit MUDs,"

Evolution
Development
Neurons
Hormones
Seconds
Days
Years
Eons

Evolutionary Gameplay Motivations

Immersion: storytelling, practicing theory of mind, adopting new viewpoints, imagining cause and effect, recognizing patterns, appreciating beauty.
Flickr Image by Express Monorail

Achievement: mastering skills.
Csikszentmihalyi has created the theory of Flow to explain why people are happy when they’re applying skills that they’re good at. Evolutionary explanations for positive psychology are emerging.

Flickr image by HaagsUitburo.
Cooperation: altruism, coordination, coalition-building, grouping.

Competition: for attention, for resources, for recognition, for physical domination, mates, etc.

Thank you!
Jon Radoff
CEO, Disruptor Beam
Email: jradoff AT disruptorbeam.com
Twitter: @jradoff

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Gamification summit nyc_2011

by Jon Radoff

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