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Can gamification increases consumers’ engagement in fitness apps? The moderating role of commensurability of the game elements

Wenting Feng, Rungting Tu and Peishan Hsieh

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2020, vol. 57, issue C

Abstract: Many app firms have adopted gamification, aiming at making consumers more engaging and loyal. Given the ambivalent evidence on the effectiveness of gamification, this study proposes that the effectiveness of gamification is moderated by the types of game elements, i.e., commensurate and incommensurate. Commensurate elements, such as points, are directly associated with performances such as step counts, and may be perceived by consumers as external incentives to their efforts; whereas incommensurate elements, such as “likes†, are not directly related to performances, and may be considered as avenues to satisfy psychological needs, leading to stronger intrinsic motivation. Results from a longitudinal field study confirm that compared with apps using commensurate elements, apps using incommensurate elements can better help increase intrinsic motivation and further enhance engagement and loyalty.

Keywords: Gamification; Gamified services; Intrinsic motivation; Consumer engagement; Consumer loyalty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:57:y:2020:i:c:s0969698918306428

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102229

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