Adopting Normification as a Source of Intrinsic Motivation

Abstract

Services in various fields apply the concept of gamification as the delivery method of behavioral information for maintaining motivation. However, prior work has discussed that the gamification is not always effective. This paper explores whether this gamification, that stimulates extrinsic motivation through competitive elements, is actually helpful in promoting intrinsic motivation that has been claimed effective in achieving long-term goals. In the preliminary study, a focus group interview was conducted with participants who either have or had used a smartphone application adopting the concept of gamification to achieve their goals. The study found that the concept of gamification does not work in all cases, especially when intrinsic motivation is more important. Based on the related works and the preliminary study, this paper proposed a normification framework that can be used as the delivery method of behavioral information for maintaining intrinsic motivation. The framework consists of four main elements: Decision, Stimulation, Action, and Reflection. In order to validate the normification framework in real situation, the reading everyday campaign study was conducted. The result of the study shows that the concept of normification was more effective than the concept of gamification for maintaining intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, the reading behavior pattern of the participants was more consistent in the normification group.