Events

The Despite the increasing interest in gamified systems and excitement about their potential positive impact on user engagement, a few studies have started to note gamification failures, which can result from user maladaptation behaviors, or behaviors directed at misusing or misappropriating the gamified system. In this research, we examine how such maladaptation behaviors can result from the design of gamified systems, which by attempting to satisfy both instrumental and game goals at the same time, are likely to misalign these goals. To date, little is known about design issues that may drive users to maladapt, and why they maladapt gamified systems. We systematically conceptualize gamified system maladaptation behaviors (GSMB) as having two dimensions: technology maladaptation and gamified task maladaptation. Based on goal-setting theory and self-determination theory, we developed a research model of GSMB. The model depicts three drivers of GSMB: game-task goals misalignment, game-task complexity, and gamification structure injustice, and how they fulfill or frustrate psychological innate needs (i.e., needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness), which in turn, drive GSMB and negatively influence one’s task performance. We conducted two studies using different contexts. We tested the model with Study 1 empirically examining users of a gamified system, “Pocket Points”, and Study 2 employing a controlled experiment to assess the fulfillment of psychological needs induced by the gamified system. The results largely support the proposed multi-dimensional nature of GSMB and the research model, highlighting that game-task goals misalignment is the main driver of GSMB, and that GSMB can lower task performance. In addition, gamification structure injustice is a major source of frustration of psychological needs, which can drive GSMB. Findings from this research have implications for both IS research and gamification practices.