The Science behind gamification
The key to understanding why gamification works so well is a chemical in our brain called dopamine. Dopamine is often called the "pleasure chemical" because it's released when we do something we enjoy.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter — a chemical that transmits signals in the brain and other vital areas. It's commonly linked to feelings of pleasure and reward. For instance, when completing a challenging puzzle, scoring a goal in a soccer game, or learning to play a musical instrument —all intrinsically rewarding activities — trigger a dopamine release, leading to a sensation of enjoyment and fulfillment.
What's fascinating about dopamine is that it doesn't just respond to immediate gratification — it also spikes in anticipation of a reward. So, when we're close to achieving a goal or overcoming a challenge, our dopamine levels rise, driving us to complete the task. It's like getting a taste of the reward before we've fully earned it.
This pleasure and reward system creates a compelling cycle. When we experience something enjoyable (like winning a game), our brain releases dopamine, which feels great. As a result, we want to repeat the activity to experience that enjoyable dopamine rush again. It's a self-perpetuating cycle—almost as if our brain is feeding itself with a feel good drug every time we do something it likes!
This is where gamification shines. When we turn a task into a game, we infuse it with elements that naturally spike our dopamine levels—challenges, achievement, and rewards. In a gamified system, each achievement or progress marker (like earning points, reaching a new level, or unlocking a new capability) gives our brain a mini dopamine hit. This makes us want to keep playing—to keep striving for the next reward.
However, it's important to understand that merely adding points, badges, or leaderboards doesn't guarantee dopamine release. For gamification to work effectively, it must be designed in a way that it fosters emotional engagement and intrinsic motivation. We will learn about this in detail later in this blog.
Hence the saying, "Doing something challenging > your brain gets a reward > you want to do it again!" By engaging our natural dopamine reward system, gamification makes us want to engage with a product or task repeatedly without losing interest.
In essence, gamification is the art of making challenging tasks pleasurable, leading to repeated engagement and increased satisfaction. It is the clever application of our understanding of the dopamine-driven drug system to motivate behaviors and make tasks more appealing and fun.
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Chapter 4:
Common Misconceptions in Gamification
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