Gamification Doesn't Boost Wellbeing (But Tracking Still Works!)
Psych đ§ - 461/500
Hello reader,
We live in a world obsessed with step counts and fitness goals. But does wearing a fitness tracker actually make you happier?
This study explores the âQuantified Selfâ movement, providing a clear verdict on whether self-tracking is a reliable path to enhanced subjective wellbeing
What is it?
This study investigates the effect of self-tracking physical activity, both with and without added gamification, on usersâ subjective wellbeing (measured as Happiness and Life Satisfaction).
Participants engaged in a four-week behavioral intervention using a smartwatch to track their activity. The goal was to identify if gamification enhanced the effect and which psychological responses (emotional enjoyment/interest or cognitive perceived usefulness) drove the wellbeing gains.
Key Findings:
Self-tracking successfully increased wellbeing: Both happiness and life satisfaction scores significantly increased after the four-week intervention, regardless of the study group.
Gamification did not enhance the effect (H1 Rejected): The groups using gamification (quests, leaderboards) showed similar gains in happiness and life satisfaction compared to the non-gamified self-tracking group.
Gamification did not boost psychological responses (H2 Rejected): Emotional (Enjoyment & Interest) and Cognitive (Perceived Usefulness) responses were similar between the gamified and non-gamified groups.
Emotional response drives Happiness (H3 Supported): Higher levels of enjoyment and interest in the activity were strongly and positively associated with an increase in the individualâs happiness (hedonic wellbeing).
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What do I need to know:
Self-tracking works for wellbeing: Simply monitoring your physical activity with a fitness tracker is enough to generate meaningful, positive psychological responses and increase both your happiness and satisfaction with life.
Donât rely on gamification for a wellbeing boost. While gamification is intended to increase motivation, in this short-term study, it did not provide any statistically significant extra benefits to wellbeing compared to plain tracking.
The benefit is dual: When you enjoy the tracking experience (emotional response), you feel happier. When you find the tracking valuable and useful for self-improvement (cognitive response), you feel greater life satisfaction.
It offers the greatest benefit to those who need it most. Individuals starting with lower wellbeing scores experienced the largest positive change.
Source:
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3405/paper10.pdf