What Motivates Gamers?

Jon RadoffGamification Summit, New York City

September 16, 2011

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

B. F. Skinner

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

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 cognitive niche: stories, language, symbols, ideas, theories, thought experiments, simulations…

The social niche: humans spread across the globe due to our social cooperation, and our social interconnectedness continues to grow.

Flickr Image CreditL Hijod Huskona

Digital connections yield social and neural connections.

Distribution of Smiling Faces on FacebookHappy people cluster.

Unhappy people cluster.

SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESSBy 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 FacebookHappy people cluster.

Unhappy people cluster.

SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESSBy Nicholas A. Christakis & James H. Fowler

Marn Grook ball

Backgammon Board from Ancient RomePhoto 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,"

SecondsDaysYearsEons

Evolution Development Hormones Neurons

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.

Cooperation: altruism, coordination, coalition-building, grouping.

Flickr image by Haags Uitburo.

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

Thank you!

Jon RadoffCEO, Disruptor BeamEmail: jradoff AT disruptorbeam.comTwitter: @jradoff