The Gamification Report Blog

A "Hold-Your-Pee" Game Mechanic? adult learning behavioral science e-learning game design gamification instructional design motivation Apr 29, 2019

by Jonathan Peters, PhD
Sententia Gamification Chief Motivation Officer

I recently read an article about creating engagement at events in a manner that people put the needs of the group ahead of their own. The author mentioned a bar in College Park, MD, that had an innovative beer special:...

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Raspberries, Learning, and a Dose of Dopamine adult learning behavioral science e-learning gamification instructional design motivation Apr 15, 2019

by Jonathan Peters, PhD
Chief Motivation Officer, Sententia Gamification

We LOVE dopamine. The release of this neurochemical in our brains rewards us when we do things that are/should be good for us and/or the passage of our DNA to the next generation. We feel pleasure, for instance, when we see a...

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Pushing Boundaries Through Play adult learning e-learning gamification motivation narrative Mar 25, 2019

Play, at least from an evolutionary psychological perspective, isn’t always smiles and unicorns. Watch any group of children playing, and you’ll see them push the boundaries. Boys will typically escalate “rough-and-tumble” play until someone expresses pain. And while girls...

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Espionage, Subterfuge, and Double Agents adult learning e-learning game design gamification instructional design Mar 11, 2019

by Jonathan Peters, PhD
Chief Motivation Officer, Sententia Gamification

The Navy SEALS have a saying, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying. (And if you get caught, shame on you.)” 

This week, we added ten new game mechanics to Sententia’s Game Mechanics...

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Play Makes You Smarter—Seriously adult learning behavioral science e-learning gamification motivation narrative Feb 18, 2019

by Jonathan Peters, PhD
Chief Motivation Officer, Sententia Gamification

Science shows that the bigger your brain, the more you play and the more complex your play is—at least compared with other animals. From dogs to dolphins, the bigger the brain, the more likely you are to play.

...

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Territory Exploration and Learning: Fortnite and Learning Programs adult learning e-learning gamification instructional design motivation narrative Feb 12, 2019

by Jonathan Peters, PhD
Sententia Gamification Chief Motivation Officer

I was in high school when Zork was available on the Commodore 64. My friends and I spent hours a day exploring the imaginary world with a notebook full of what we learned about the realm, the questions to ask, the instructions...

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Using an "In-Game Economy" in Your Learning Programs behavioral science e-learning game design gamification motivation Feb 04, 2019

by Jonathan Peters, PhD
Chief Motivation Officer, Sententia Gamification

In-game economies are a common game mechanic in gamified learning programs; however, it is important to understand that people interact differently with economies based on their Motivation Profile. Without such an...

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