Science to practice: Does gamification enhance intrinsic motivation?

Self-determination theory (SDT) has empirical support in understanding and enhancing motivation in a variety of contexts, including education settings. Niemac and Ryan have highlighted that using SDT in course design can lead to stronger fulfilment of an internal locus of causality regarding course work. One course design method anchored in SDT is gameful learning—structuring tasks that support intrinsic motivation, primarily increasing autonomy over learning. A gamified classroom (GC) may offer more assignments and points than minimally necessary for students to earn a passing mark, allowing students choice in which projects to pursue. Further research is needed to examine the degree to which students’ motivations differ between a GC and a non-gamified classroom (NGC). The purpose of the current study was to determine if students in a GC were more intrinsically motivated than students in NGC. Students were enrolled in an undergraduate kinesiology course using a GC design ( n = 24) or NGC design ( n = 26) and completed an online survey – derived from the intrinsic motivation inventory and the test anxiety questionnaire—at the beginning and end of the semester. In the GC, students started with zero points, and were offered multiple assignments with scaffolded difficulty to reach their desired grade. The NGC used a traditional 100% grade range, with only required assignments and exams, and students lost points for inadequate or inaccurate responses. Following analyses, it was revealed that students in the GC had higher perceptions of autonomy and competence than students in the NGC. Where these differences exist over time, along with differences in other subscales, will be discussed further. Educators seeking to enhance student motivation and engagement may therefore look to gamification as an appropriate methodology.

Translation and validation of an extended German-language version of the Perceived Locus of Causality Questionnaire (PLOCQ-G) in a sample of physical education students

The aims of this study were to translate and validate an extended German-language version of the Perceived Locus of Causality Questionnaire (PLOCQ), a questionnaire that assesses behavioural regulations in the physical education (PE) context. Items assessing integrated regulation were added given that the original PLOCQ omits this factor. The sample consisted of 223 students from different German secondary schools. Psychometric analyses provided support for the six factors and 24-item model. Inter-correlations among the factors predominantly mirrored a simplex-like structure, except for the correlations between introjected and identified regulation and integrated regulation and its adjacent forms of regulation. Construct validity was demonstrated with positive correlations between the autonomous forms of regulation on the one hand and task orientation, perceived competence, and enjoyment on the other. Overall, this study showed that the PLOCQ‑G with six factors and 24 items has good psychometric properties and can be used to assess behavioural regulations in German PE students.

Data-Driven Discrimination, Perceived Fairness, and Consumer Trust–The Perspective of Consumer Attribution

With the development of consumer-centric data collection, storage, and analysis technologies, there is growing popularity for firms to use the behavioral data of individual consumers to implement data-driven discrimination strategies. Different from traditional price discrimination, such data-driven discrimination can take more diverse forms and often discriminates particularly against firms’ established customers whom firms know the best. Despite the widespread attention from both the academia and the public, little research examines how consumers react to such discrimination enabled by big data. Based on attribution theory, this paper examines how different ways of consumer attribution of data-driven discrimination influence perceived fairness and consumer trust toward the firm. Specifically, we hypothesize that controllability by consumers and locus of causality of data-driven discrimination interactively influence perceived fairness, which further affects consumer trust. We conduct two experiments to test the hypotheses. Study 1 uses a 2(controllability: high vs. low)×2(locus of causality: internal vs. external) between-subjects design. The results show a significant interaction between controllability and locus of causality on consumer trust. When consumers attribute data-driven discrimination to themselves (internal attribution), consumer trust is significantly lower in low-controllable situations than that in high-controllable situations. When consumers attribute the discrimination to the firm (external attribution), however, the impact of controllability on consumer trust is nonsignificant. Moreover, we show that perceived fairness plays a mediating role in the interaction effect of controllability and locus of causality on consumer trust. Study 2 uses a similar design to replicate the findings of Study 1 and further examines the moderating role of consumer self-concept clarity. The results show that the findings of study 1 apply only to consumers with low self-concept clarity. For consumers with high self-concept clarity, regardless of the locus of causality (internal or external), consumer trust is significantly higher in high-controllable situations than that in low-controllable situations. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and managerial implications and conclude the paper by pointing out future research directions.

Motivación contextual desde la autodeterminación en las clases de Educación Física (Contextual motivation from self-determination in physical education classes)

El objetivo propuesto en el presente estudio fue determinar el tipo de motivación, desde la perspectiva de la autodeterminación, en estudiantes de enseñanza media, hacia la clase de Educación Física del Liceo Antonio Varas de la Barra en Arica, Chile, y su relación entre nivel de estudios y sexo. Participaron 717 estudiantes de 1ro a 4to medio. El instrumento utilizado fue la Escala del Locus Percibido de Causalidad en Educación Física (adaptación española). Entre los resultados se hallaron resultados medios-altos (5.09 y 5.22) para las dimensiones de Motivación Intrínseca y Regulación Identificada, respectivamente; mientras que las dimensiones Regulación Introyectada y Regulación Externa presentaron valores medios, 4.49 para la Regulación Introyectada y 4.72 para la Regulación Externa. Por su parte, la no motivación alcanzó un valor medio-bajo (3.70). Genéricamente, los varones aparentaron valores más alto que las damas, en todas las dimensiones, excepto en no motivación, sin embargo, estas diferencias no resultaron ser significativas estadísticamente. Se arribó a la conclusión de que la Motivación Intrínseca, la Regulación Identificada caracterizan a la población estudiada, la no motivación mostró resultados bajos, por lo que los alumnos de enseñanza media, sobre todo, los hombres de niveles superiores, se hallan motivados por la clase de Educación Física. Abstract. The objective proposed in the present study was to determine the type of motivation, from the perspective of self-determination, in high school students, towards the Physical Education class of the Antonio Varas de la Barra High School in Arica, Chile, and its relationship between level of studies and sex. 717 students from 1st to 4th grade participated. The instrument used was the Scale of the Perceived Locus of Causality in Physical Education (Spanish adaptation). Among the results, medium-high results (5.09 and 5.22) were found for the dimensions of Intrinsic Motivation and Identified Regulation, respectively; while the Introjected Regulation and External Regulation dimensions presented average values, 4.49 for Introjected Regulation and 4.72 for External Regulation. For its part, non-motivation reached a medium-low value (3.70). Generically, men appeared higher values ​​than women, in all dimensions, except non-motivation, however, these differences were not statistically significant. It was concluded that Intrinsic Motivation, Identified Regulation characterize the studied population, non-motivation showed low results, so that high school students, especially men of higher levels, are motivated by the P.E. Class.

Perceived locus of causality: theoretical significance and the problem of measurement

This work is aimed at summarizing the theoretical progress made in understanding the role of perceived locus of causality in various activities The problem of the method of measuring the perceived locus of causality is analyzed. It is emphasized that for this design it is a multidimensional approach to measurement, which considers all types of causality locus as separate constructs, turns out to be the most promising one. Particular attention is paid to determinants and correlates, such as motivational regulation, in the context of educational activities, which attracts a multidimensional approach in its measurement oftener than in the analysis of other forms of activity.

PLOC – Regulações motivacionais para aulas de Educação Física

Os objetivos do estudo foram traduzir para o idioma português, realizar adaptação transcultural e identificar propriedades psicométricas da Perceived Locus of Causality (PLOC) Scale para uso em escolares brasileiros. Versão original foi traduzida de acordo com recomendações internacionais. Comitê de juízes foi formado para analisar versões traduzidas do questionário e utilizou como critério de análise as equivalências semântica, idiomática, cultural e conceitual. Versão final da escala traduzida foi administrada em uma amostra de 3912 escolares (2034 moças e 1878 rapazes) com idades entre 12 e 18 anos. Para identificar as propriedades psicométricas iniciais foi realizada análise fatorial exploratória e, na sequência, análise fatorial confirmatória. Para análise da consistência interna de cada fator associado ao PLOC, foi empregado coeficiente alfa de Cronbach. Após discretas modificações apontadas no processo de tradução, o comitê de juízes considerou que a versão para o idioma português do PLOC apresentou equivalências semântica, idiomática, cultural e conceitual. Análise fatorial confirmou estrutura de cinco fatores originalmente proposta, mediante indicadores estatísticos equivalentes a χ2/gl = 1,88, CFI = 0,934, GFI = 0,967, AGFI = 0,951 e RMSR = 0,059 (IC95% 0,051-0,069). Alfa de Cronbach apontou consistência interna dos fatores associados às regulações motivacionais para as aulas de educação física entre 0,71 e 0,83. Concluindo, tradução, adaptação transcultural e qualidades psicométricas do PLOC foram satisfatórias, o que viabiliza sua aplicação em futuros estudos no Brasil.

PLOC – Regulações motivacionais para aulas de Educação Física

Os objetivos do estudo foram traduzir para o idioma português, realizar adaptação transcultural e identificar propriedades psicométricas da Perceived Locus of Causality (PLOC) Scale para uso em escolares brasileiros. Versão original foi traduzida de acordo com recomendações internacionais. Comitê de juízes foi formado para analisar versões traduzidas do questionário e utilizou como critério de análise as equivalências semântica, idiomática, cultural e conceitual. Versão final da escala traduzida foi administrada em uma amostra de 3912 escolares (2034 moças e 1878 rapazes) com idades entre 12 e 18 anos. Para identificar as propriedades psicométricas iniciais foi realizada análise fatorial exploratória e, na sequência, análise fatorial confirmatória. Para análise da consistência interna de cada fator associado ao PLOC, foi empregado coeficiente alfa de Cronbach. Após discretas modificações apontadas no processo de tradução, o comitê de juízes considerou que a versão para o idioma português do PLOC apresentou equivalências semântica, idiomática, cultural e conceitual. Análise fatorial confirmou estrutura de cinco fatores originalmente proposta, mediante indicadores estatísticos equivalentes a χ2/gl = 1,88, CFI = 0,934, GFI = 0,967, AGFI = 0,951 e RMSR = 0,059 (IC95% 0,051-0,069). Alfa de Cronbach apontou consistência interna dos fatores associados às regulações motivacionais para as aulas de educação física entre 0,71 e 0,83. Concluindo, tradução, adaptação transcultural e qualidades psicométricas do PLOC foram satisfatórias, o que viabiliza sua aplicação em futuros estudos no Brasil.

Roles of Perceived Locus of Causality, Social Distance and Gender on Willingness to Volunteer in Nigeria Local Community

The present study investigated potential enhancement factors in relation to volunteerism. Specifically, we examined how perceived locus of causality, social distance and gender may influence willingness to volunteer help for victims of road accident. The study was based on a controlled experiment among students of a university (N = 80). Hypotheses were tested simultaneously in a univariate analysis which showed non-significant influence of perceived locus of causality (H1, p > .05); significant influence of social distance (H2, p < .05); non-significant influence of gender (H3, p > .05); significant interaction of perceived locus of causality and gender (p < .01), and significant interaction of perceived locus of causality, social distance and gender on willingness to volunteer (H4, p < .01). That is, people were more willing to help when those in need are related to them. The present study contributes to theory within this research field which explain African disposition by showing that kinship and familiarity are significant predictors of willingness to provide help for victims of disaster. However, the researchers encourage all Nigerians to look beyond family ties and affiliations in providing help to people in need. Key Words: Volunteerism; Social distance; Perceived locus of causality; Gender; Nigeria; Local culture