Digital Platform Participation: Recreational and Platform-Based Motivations in Citizen Science

This study explores how different types of motivation shape user participation on a digital citizen science platform (faune-france), offering broader insights into engagement dynamics on digital platforms. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), we distinguish between recreational motivations, related to birdwatching, and platform-oriented motivations, such as enjoyment of digital features, desire for recognition, or valuing scientific contribution. Using survey data and ordinal logistic regression analysis, we examine how both the absolute and relative strength of these motivations influence patterns of active and passive participation Preliminary findings reveal that while intrinsic recreational motivation strongly predicts both active and passive engagement, users with high recreational motivation but low platform motivation are less likely to contribute actively. This highlights a potential friction between immersive, offline practices and the structured demands of digital interfaces. Conversely, platform-oriented motivations significantly increase the likelihood of active participation. Beyond the citizen science context, this study contribute to broader research on digital platform participation by emphasizing the importance of motivational alignment between users and platform affordances. They suggest that platform design must account for different user orientations: balancing ease of contribution with meaningful, low-effort content experiences. Understanding participation as a continuum shaped by motivational profiles provides new directions for designing inclusive, sustainable, and engaging digital environments.