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A Study of the Impact of Social Responsibility Cues on the Long-Term Effectiveness of Gamification Strategies: Insights from the Adverse Effects of Game Strategies

Author

Listed:
  • Jiaxing Chen

    (School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China)

  • Yuze Bao

    (School of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Guangling Zhang

    (School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China)

  • Xiaoqi Huang

    (School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China)

Abstract

Mobile applications can integrate games or gamification elements to build a game metaverse, thus increasing use duration. Research on game metaverses is relatively scarce, mainly focusing on the positive effects of game elements. Few studies have considered the push-away power of game or gamification elements. In this paper, we explore the role of pro-environmental cues in mitigating the push-away power of game or gamification elements from the perspective of the adverse effects of game elements. A total of 250 participants were recruited to engage in two two-factor between-subject studies. Study 1 demonstrated that pro-environmental cues increased self-consciousness during the game and mitigated adverse outcomes after the game. The results of Study 2 further supported the findings of Study 1. The results showed that the perception of pleasure during the game reduced the effects of pro-environmental cues. The pro-environmental cues mitigated adverse outcomes after the game experience when perceiving lower or moderate enjoyment. In comparison, the effects of pro-environmental cues on mitigating negative consequences after the game experience were insignificant when experiencing higher enjoyment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiaxing Chen & Yuze Bao & Guangling Zhang & Xiaoqi Huang, 2022. "A Study of the Impact of Social Responsibility Cues on the Long-Term Effectiveness of Gamification Strategies: Insights from the Adverse Effects of Game Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:22:p:15408-:d:978091
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    References listed on IDEAS

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