What does gamification in healthcare actually mean

[Liabi]

I keep hearing this buzzword "gamification" in health and wellness. I kind of get it, it means adding game stuff to things. But it sounds so... childish? Like, are we supposed to give adults gold stars for eating a vegetable? I don't really understand what it means in a serious medical context. How is a leaderboard supposed to help someone with a serious illness? Can someone explain the actual psychology here?

[Tive]

Haha, I thought the same thing at first! It's not just gold stars and leaderboards. That's a super common misconception. Real gamification in healthcare is much deeper. It uses the principles of game design to motivate people.

For example, it's based on things like "Self-Determination Theory". That theory says people are motivated by feeling competent, autonomous (in control), and connected to others. So a good gamified app doesn't just give you a badge. It gives you choices (autonomy), shows you your progress (competence), and might have a community feature (connection). It's a huge design philosophy that combines psychology with user experience.

I found this amazing blog post that breaks down all the core psychological theories https://orangesoft.co/blog/gamification-in-healthcare  It's a great read. It explains all the models, like flow theory and goal-setting theory. Super insightful.

[Liabi]

Wow, okay. That is much deeper than I thought. "Self-Determination Theory" makes way more sense than just "gold stars." Seeing it as a full design philosophy based on actual psychological models is a total shift in perspective for me. Thanks for that explanation and the link!

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