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Can gamification increases consumers’ engagement in fitness apps? The moderating role of commensurability of the game elements

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  • Feng, Wenting
  • Tu, Rungting
  • Hsieh, Peishan

Abstract

Many app firms have adopted gamification, aiming at making consumers more engaging and loyal. Given the ambivalent evidence on the effectiveness of gamification, this study proposes that the effectiveness of gamification is moderated by the types of game elements, i.e., commensurate and incommensurate. Commensurate elements, such as points, are directly associated with performances such as step counts, and may be perceived by consumers as external incentives to their efforts; whereas incommensurate elements, such as “likes†, are not directly related to performances, and may be considered as avenues to satisfy psychological needs, leading to stronger intrinsic motivation. Results from a longitudinal field study confirm that compared with apps using commensurate elements, apps using incommensurate elements can better help increase intrinsic motivation and further enhance engagement and loyalty.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng, Wenting & Tu, Rungting & Hsieh, Peishan, 2020. "Can gamification increases consumers’ engagement in fitness apps? The moderating role of commensurability of the game elements," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:57:y:2020:i:c:s0969698918306428
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102229
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yousaf, Anish & Mishra, Abhishek & Gupta, Anil, 2021. "‘From technology adoption to consumption’: Effect of pre-adoption expectations from fitness applications on usage satisfaction, continual usage, and health satisfaction," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
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    3. Wojciech Pizlo & Anna Mazurkiewicz-Pizlo, 2023. "Gamification - Use in Tourism Business Management," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 390-409.
    4. Meng Yin & Syed Muhammad Usman Tayyab & Xiao-Yu Xu & Shuo-Wei Jia & Chih-Lun Wu, 2021. "The Investigation of Mobile Health Stickiness: The Role of Social Support in a Sustainable Health Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-25, February.
    5. Perez-Aranda, Javier & González Robles, Eva M. & Alarcón Urbistondo, Pilar, 2023. "Understanding antecedents of continuance and revisit intentions: The case of sport apps," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    6. Zhou, Fei & Lin, Youhai & Mou, Jian & Cohen, Jason & Chen, Sihua, 2023. "Understanding the dark side of gamified interactions on short-form video platforms: Through a lens of expectations violations theory," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PB).
    7. Miao, Xiaoyu & Niu, Ben & Yang, Congcong & Feng, Yuanyue, 2023. "Examining the gamified effect of the blindbox design: The moderating role of price," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

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