Behavior and the development of gamification

Gamification in education and businesses has gained popularity in recent years. “Gamification is the idea that individuals are more likely to engage in an activity if there are clearly defined rewards. Just like an ordinary game, prizes can range from bragging rights to monetary incentives.”[1]  Numerous companies, including Amazon, Starbucks, Apple, Uber, and Lyft, have adopted some form of gamification to boost their marketing strategy or employees’ productivity. Gamification did not develop out of thin air; instead, it emerged from diverse and expansive research in behavioral science, which is today growing into behavioral science ventures or startups. 

Behavioral scientists “study when and why individuals engage in specific behaviors by conducting experiments that examine the impact of factors such as conscious thoughts, motivation, social influences, contextual effects, and habits. Several disciplines fall under the broad label of behavioral science, including anthropology, behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, consumer behavior, social psychology, and sociology.”[2] 

For example, the field of behavioral economics emerges from psychology and economic behavior, thereby predicting and explaining how consumers make, avoid, or change spending decisions.

Behavioral science ventures focus on cognitive science to affect user behavior (i.e., Apple’s watch rewards for every additional mile customers walk; or Starbucks’ free coffee and foodies for every purchase customers make). They draw new ideas and increase capital by collecting large amounts of human behavioral data that go beyond the micro level of ventures. 

So why would companies apply behavioral science? Buying coffee every day at 9 am, paying off debt, being on time for an appointment, eating fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, and reducing waste are all behaviors. These behaviors comprise smaller steps (i.e., setting your alarm to wake up early or walking or catching the train to your appointment). Internal and external factors that can act as barriers or facilitators influence these small steps. Thus, companies must understand human behavior to build successful products and services. It is behavior that ultimately drives impact, not technology. 

[1] John Mannes, “Planting the Seed: Silicon Valley, Mind Control and Finding Order in Chaos,” TechCrunch, July 1, 2015, https://techcrunch.com/2015/06/30/planting-the-seed-silicon-valley-mind-control-and-finding-order-in-chaos/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAxe6vhvvptSM4KH4YMwbAHImoE4txtPaPukcuK_FBjlKG0S_PRCulYpyYxQbs_RpRUZWiqDbWUntc9LaiS_Q4NMJ4aD7oh1TUvzhh_JA1X4vH5SUf0guSL4ZZJiKRPskf1IvlKHJ3g4IjBLGENvU3yRH9fAqj_0nH8zszypsxKz

[2] “Taking Behavioral Science to the next Level-and Beyond,” The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, n.d., https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mindworks/what-is-behavioral-science-research#:~:text=Behavioral%20scientists%20study%20when%20and,Anthropology.