This is part II of the blog series on rewards in gamification and game-based systems.
Since I am still in my youthful years, I went out and experimented! And no it was not on alcohol, cigarettes or harmful substances. Rather, it was a self-gamification experiment. I designed and implemented a very simple gamified system that involved adding points to everything that I did (everything that I did that was related to the completion of the two degrees that I am currently enrolled in). Mind you, before I give you the low-down on the method of the unscientific, n=1 study, I should give you some context:
- I am researching on an area that I am already very interested in, so mustering up the motivation to actually read the literature related to my research is not difficult
- There are certain coursework readings that I do not enjoy reading all that much
The system that I employed was a very simple, point based system: journal article = 3 points, blog post = 4 points, book chapter = 4 points, 2000w assignment = 5 points. All the points added up to dollars, by the end of the week, I was able to redeem these points by going out to dinner somewhere fancy with a friend.
Before I go and reveal the results to this experiment, I would love to know what you are all hypothesizing. Go ahead and vote:
Through the gamification experiment, did I read:
Games in Music Education 
I can see ways this would both positively and negatively affect your life. By earning points you get extrinsic rewards for completing tasks, and this adds to your sense of achievement. But it also means you have a greater sense of failure if you aren’t doing things to earn points, as you are “missing out” on rewards you could be having.
I’d be really interested to see the results!
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I think that it would be both positive and negative due to the fact that you are creating the reward system yourself. In my opinion, a reward system works best when it is created outside the individual’s control as it could often lead to ‘tweaking’ the system to suit situational needs. I suppose it does at the end of the day come down to the individual’s personality and their ability to stick to a regimented system hence I think if it’s developed by the individual it would be both positive and negative.
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