Examining the dark side of using gamification elements in online community engagement: an application of PLS-SEM and ANN modeling

Abstract

PurposeThe negative influence of gamification on online communities has received little attention in the available literature. The study examines the adverse effects of gamification during engaging in online communities.Design/methodology/approachGap-spotting methods were used to develop the research questions, followed by model development using the social exchange and social-network theories. Data were collected from 429 samples. The study applied partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the research hypotheses followed by ANN application.FindingsThe study identified five factors related to gamification that have a significant adverse effect on the mental and emotional well-being of the users. Furthermore, the results of PLS-SEM were then compared through an artificial neural network (ANN) analytic process, revealing consistency for the model. This research presents a theoretical contribution by providing critical insights into online gamers' mental and emotional health. It implies that gamification can even bring mental and emotional disturbance. The resulting situation might lead to undesirable social consequences.Practical implicationsThe result highlights the managerial and social relevance from the perspective of a developing country. As respondents are becoming more engrossed in online gaming, managers and decision-makers need to take preventive measures to overcome the dark side of online gaming.Originality/valueThe present study shows that the dark side of gamification has some adverse effects on human mental and emotional health. The study's findings can be used to improve gamification strategies while engaging online communities.

Gamification in marketing: Insights on current and future research directions based on a bibliometric and theories, contexts, characteristics and methodologies analysis

“…So, these keywords indicate that this cluster considers the study of factors affecting the intention to adopt gamified systems, that incorporate game elements, by customers [ 63 ]. Moreover, much of the research in this topic area uses partial least squares structural equation modelling analysis to test the model [ 64 , 65 ].

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Gamify, engage, build loyalty: exploring the benefits of gameful experience for branded sports apps

“…However, despite the presumed benefits of gamification, recent studies reveal conflicting findings regarding its effects on consumer behaviour. For example, Liu et al (2017) showed that the integration of gamification elements does not automatically yield positive results; other studies have reported that gamification leads to negative effects such as addiction, intolerance, mood swings (Srivastava et al , 2022), excessive participation (Hammedi et al , 2017), contradicting interactions (Leclercq et al , 2020) and even disengagement from the focal task (Leclercq et al , 2018). These particular effects have cast doubt on gamification’s efficiency and impelled scholars to set a supplemental research agenda that goes beyond the study of game elements.…”