For a gamified system we need to tailor our design to the types of players that will be participating. Each of us as individuals have a certain way of looking at the world – we are subjective in our view. For this reason we need to consider what will appeal to our target audience and the sort of motivators that will work best.

As there are as many distinct personalities as there are people, we cannot possibly take into account every factor so we need to somehow generalise and group our players. We do this by defining ‘Player Types’, each of which has their own core motivators and views the world in their own way. There are many player classification systems and perhaps the best known one was designed by Richard Bartle.

Bartle’s Player Types consisted of Killers, Achievers, Socializers and Explorers and described how each type preferred to interact with a video game. He later expanded these player types, splitting each category into two to give eight player types in total.

The Bartle Player Types have proven to be effective for video game design but do not always apply well to gamification, where the systems being designed contains elements of video game design rather than being a video game.

I believe that, for the purposes of gamification, player type design is best when linked to the motivators (Extrinsic and Intrinsic). But each Player has its ‘dark side’ or Shadow who may affect the system in a negative manner. For example, someone motivated by Mastery might want to gain the highest levels achievable within the system or even improve it but their Shadow may see destroying or breaking the system as the ultimate expression of their Mastery over it.

Extrinsically Motivated Players

There are four types of extrinsic motivation as defined by Deci and Ryan. These are the ‘carrot and stick’ motivations.

Externally regulated behaviour

This is where the drive comes from an external demand or expected reward. For example working because you’re paid to do so. There is no autonomy (Autonomy = independence or self-determination) for the person and if they are not paid, they will not work unless some other reward or punishment motivates them.

Player Types:

Wage Slave – They are driven by Externally Regulated Behaviour. Reward or Punishment will motivate a Wage Slave but without them they will immediately stop interacting and become a Striker
 

Introjected regulation of behaviour

Here, we’re avoiding feelings of guilt or recrimination. For example “I need to work to support my family”. Although the behaviour is being driven internally by the individual’s need to move away from an undesired state, the cause is very much external and the subject has little autonomy in the situation.

Player Types:

Guilt Tripper – Motivated by Introjected Regulation of Behaviour. They are avoiding feelings of guilt or recrimination however, this needs to constantly apply to their situation. Should the situation they are trying to move away from actually occur at any point, they may no longer be able to function, give up and become Depressed.

Regulation through identification

This form of motivation is driven by a desire to express something that is felt to be ‘important’ to the individual. There is an element of autonomy involved and self-identified ‘values’ such as “I work because I want to do it”.

Player Types:

Believer – Motivated by Regulation Through Identification they are driven by a desire to express something they deem important or fits their self-defined values. However, if they lose or downgrade the importance of these beliefs and values they can easily become Agnostic.
 

Integrated Regulation

Now we are approaching Intrinsic motivation: Integrated Regulation occurs when a set of rules, beliefs or regulations are fully assimilated into the individual’s identity. It is very similar to Intrinsic motivation but the beliefs and models involved have come from strictly external conditioning rather than in inherent joy or inspiration.

Player Types:

Evangelist – Integrated Regulation drives this user and their inner self is the Evangelist, happily carrying out ‘the good work’ in an almost Intrinsic manner. However, if those external rules or beliefs are shown to be false or doubtful then the player could become a Heretic, now opposed to those beliefs and motivated by a different set of beliefs.

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Gamification is all about Motivation; our drive to do things. We try to use Gamification to create motivating and engaging real-life experiences.

Unsurprisingly, psychology has a lot to say about motivation and what drives us to do the things we do. The oft-quoted ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ developed by Maslow¹ describes various levels of requirements we have as humans and argues that, unless the basic needs are satisfied, we are not motivated to aspire to the higher levels.

Or, in a nutshell, if you are starving and cold your priority is not likely to be seeking a ‘sense of belonging’…

Although Maslow’s model has been criticised, it is still a pretty good concept to keep in mind –

if you don’t address the essential needs, motivating people to do ‘higher’ things becomes difficult.

Self-Determination Theory

Following on from this view of motivation, Self-determination theory (SDT) is a major theory in psychology which studies motivation and innate psychological needs within humans (beyond our essential physical requirements such as food and shelter). SDT identifies three particular psychological needs that humans naturally have which affect our growth: Competence, Relatedness and Autonomy. If these needs are met, we will be motivated and productive. If not, our motivation, productivity (and happiness!) are adversely affected. Let’s take a brief look at what each of the needs means:

Competence

The need to meet and overcome challenges and to ‘master’ skills. When we have a balance between increasing difficulty and increasing skill we can enter a ‘Flow’ state, a state of being ‘in the zone’.

Relatedness

To connect with others. Caring for others and being cared for ourselves, unconditionally.

Autonomy

Freedom and having choices. Independence.

Driving On…

Daniel Pink the author of ‘Drive’² felt that the Competence, Relatedness and Autonomy model needed updating. He proposed his own three-element model of motivation: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose

Autonomy

Freedom and having choices. Independence.

Mastery

The need to meet and overcome challenges and to ‘master’ skills.

Purpose

The desire to do tasks that have meaning and purpose.

From a gamification perspective, I have developed my own model – more on that later…

Extrinsic v Intrinsic

When considering gamified systems, we need to look at the two distinct types of Motivation – Extrinsic and Intrinsic.

Extrinsic Motivation

This is where we do things for external rewards or to avoid punishment or consequences rather than for enjoyment – the ‘carrot and stick’ approach. Deci and Ryan³ described four types of extrinsic motivators as part of their Organismic Integration Theory, a sort of sub-theory within SDT (Kudos for the awesome theory name guys!).

Externally regulated behaviour

Introjected regulation of behaviour

Regulation through identification

Integrated Regulation

So – let’s have a look at each type:

Externally regulated behaviour

This is where the drive comes from an external demand or expected reward. For example working because you’re paid to do so. There is no autonomy (Autonomy = independence or self-determination) for the person and if they are not paid, they will not work unless some other reward or punishment motivates them.

Introjected regulation of behaviour

Here, we’re avoiding feelings of guilt or recrimination. For example “I need to work to support my family”. Although the behaviour is being driven internally by the individual’s need to move away from an undesired state, the cause is very much external and the subject has little autonomy in the situation.

Regulation through identification

This form of motivation is driven by a desire to express something that is felt to be ‘important’ to the individual. There is an element of autonomy involved and self-identified ‘values’ such as “I work because I want to do it”.

Integrated Regulation

Now we are approaching Intrinsic motivation: Integrated Regulation occurs when a set of rules, beliefs or regulations are fully assimilated into the individual’s identity. It is very similar to Intrinsic motivation but the beliefs and models involved have come from strictly external conditioning rather than in inherent joy or inspiration.

We can link these four types with autonomy:

Next we’ll look at Intrinsic motivation and the MAGIC motivators…
READ PART 2: THE MAGIC OF MOTIVATION

References and further reading:
1. Bridges, S. and Wertz, F. (2009), Abraham Maslow. In Lopez, S. (Ed.). The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
2. Pink, D. (2011). Drive : the surprising truth about what motivates us. Edinburgh: Canongate.
3. Ryan, R. & Deci, E. (2017). Self-determination theory : basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. New York: Guilford Press.

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