Measure of the Lived and Functional Effects of Gamification: An Experimental Study in a Professional Context

Abstract

The aim of this research is to study the effects of gamification on end users. Several points of attention have already been highlighted in various research studies (e.g., motivational problems, corporate culture issues, ambiguous social relationships, cultural literacy and gamification paradox). The focus of our experimental study is the evaluation of the impact of a gamified system compared to a non-gamified system on the direct perception of its users. 20 employees tested two versions of the same application: one was gamified and the other one was not-gamified. Then, they responded to different scale-based questions, followed by an interview. It appears that gamification leads to a modification of the lived aspects of user experience without having any effect on the functional aspects. Thus, the application is perceived as being more playful, more engaging, more moving, more symbiotic. This research underlines that, in a work environment, gamification must be applied with an acute knowledge of its impacts.