Open Access

Maximilian Altmeyer, Amina Elbitar, Reza Hardi Mogavi, Ahmed Hosny Saleh Metwally, Simone Bassanelli, Lennart E. Nacke

• In gamification research, attention has shifted from effectiveness assessment to understanding its mechanisms. Amid the focus on individual factors and tailored gamification, the impact of game element specifics — albeit fundamental to gamification — remains understudied. We address this by comparing the effect of two implementations of the game element "badges" on performance and user experience on an image-tagging platform. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, we examined badges designed to be informational or controlling in an online study (N = 66). Results showed that participants exposed to badges designed to be controlling generated more tags than those exposed to badges designed to be informational. We also found that autonomy-oriented participants generated more tags across conditions. Thus, the effect of game elements depends on how elements are implemented, and considering causality orientations in tailored gamification is important, since they can explain interpersonal differences in when and how intrinsic motivation is undermined.