But how exactly does this happen? And what role does gamification play in shaping these responses?
First, take a look at the two surveys below:
Which survey would require the least mental effort?
At first glance, the non-gamified survey seems serious and important, while the gamified survey seems more carefree and relaxed, featuring playful elements like a progress bar of a little girl walking towards a present. Consequently, the gamified survey may encourage respondents to invest more cognitive effort in answering carefully, while the non-gamified survey participants could be untroubled to answer the questions properly, thus reducing cognitive effort. However, does the gamified design mask a deeper cognitive demand?
To explore how every thought, decision, and action triggers physiological responses, consider the Stroop Test. In this experiment, participants identify the color of a word while ignoring its meaning.
Give it a try! Notice how your brain handles the conflict—this is cognitive load in action!
Stroop Test: Measuring Cognitive Interference
Press the key corresponding to the ink color of
the word:
r for Red,
g for Green,
b for Blue,
y for Yellow
Score: 0
Response Time: 0.00
Let's compare physiological responses, such as blood volume pulse (BVP) and temperature, during cognitive load (while taking the Stroop test) vs. at rest.
Baseline vs. Cognitive Load: A Tale of Physiological Responses
These graphs illustrate how cognitive load is associated with higher variability in BVP. The variance measures how much the blood volume pulse fluctuates over time. Higher values indicate greater instability in cardiovascular activity, reflecting greater stress or mental strain.
Essentially, under cognitive load, the body tends to elicit more physiological responses.
So, what does this mean for gamified vs. non-gamified surveys?
If cognitive load increases physiological responses like BVP variance and temperature, a similar pattern should be observed in survey respondents. The playful elements of the gamified survey seem less mentally demanding and should result in lower physiological responses...
but the data suggests otherwise.
The visualizations below indicate how physiological responses are constantly higher for gamified surveys compared to non-gamified surveys across time. EDA and temperature are both higher on average, while the BVP varies more in respondents taking the gamified survey vs. the non-gamified survey.
Physiological Reactions Comparison
Starting Second:
Gamified vs. Non-Gamified Surveys: Engaging the Mind
Seconds Elapsed: 1
Essentially, these visualizations make it clear: respondents taking gamified surveys have increased physiological responses compared to those taking non-gamified ones, concluding that those responding to gamified surveys are under more cognitive load than non-gamified.
Therefore, we can conclude that respondents are more cognitively engaged while taking the gamified surveys than non-gamified surveys.
So, what does this mean?
The BIG Picture
The choice between gamified and non-gamified surveys isn't just about what looks better. It's about balancing engagement and survey reliability. Gamified surveys may boost engagement, but they can also introduce noise due to increased cognitive effort. Though less engaging, traditional surveys may yield more consistent responses when necessary.
As a data scientist or researcher, designing surveys is about collecting high-quality data.
The trick is to design your survey so it matches your goals, making sure the data you collect is actionable and meaningful.