- Groundwork
Using gamification to enhance development: how game elements can contribute to sustainable development in the Global South
Zeena Oberoi
- July 8, 2024
- 9:00 am
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BEHAVIORAL THEME
OVERVIEW
Through this Groundwork, we offer foundational insights for development practitioners seeking to understand and navigate the integration of gamification and behavioral science into their work. It delves into gamification’s multifaceted uses and characteristics and how gamified elements can be incorporated into development initiatives, especially in the Global South.
In this report, we further explore how gamified interventions can be deployed to foster learning, encourage healthy behaviors, promote engagement, and facilitate social cohesion within communities. Additionally, it examines how insights from behavioral science can inform the design and implementation of these interventions, ensuring they are engaging and effective in eliciting desired behavioral outcomes among target populations.
THEMATIC AREAS
Such a research agenda is important for two reasons. Firstly, it recognizes the inherent power of gamification as an engaging and motivating tool for behavior change, particularly in environments where traditional methods may fall short. By leveraging the intrinsic appeal of games, practitioners can enhance the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting health, education, financial literacy, and other critical outcomes in low-income communities. Secondly, incorporating behavioral science principles ensures that gamified programs are engaging and tailored to the target population’s socio-cultural contexts. By understanding cognitive biases, heuristics, and social dynamics, practitioners can design interventions that resonate with individuals’ motivations, preferences, and constraints across different contexts, increasing their effectiveness and sustainability.