The Use of the Self-Determination Theory in the Context of Gamification. A Literature Review

Abstract

Gamification can be defined as the use of game elements outside their original scenario, in order to transform certain activities into interesting and engaging processes. However, for this to occur, strategic planning is necessary in the elaboration of a gamified environment, aiming mainly at motivation, as this can help the subject remain in the activity. The Self-Determination Theory was conceived with the aim of studying the links between personality, human motivation and optimal functioning. Presenting two types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. It was from such constructs that the theory began to be worked on in the context of gamification. Based on the combination of these themes, a literature review was prepared to understand how SDT is used in the context of gamification. For the search of the data, 11 electronic information bases were considered. For this study, articles and works published in proceedings were also considered. Which were subjected to exclusion criteria, the final database resulted in 62 studies, published between 2014 and 2020 and analyzed with the help of the Iramuteq software. It was found that the SDT associated with gamification began to be explored in 2014 and later other works were developed. It is an area that has been growing in recent years, linked to areas such as education, health and work.