Are Game Elements Fueling Learners’ Motivation via Positive Affect?

The use of game elements in learning tasks is often motivated by the aim of utilizing their motivational capabilities. Even if game elements do not directly affect cognitive learning outcomes, they can keep learners engaged and support long-term loyalties. In this contribution, we present an investigation of the effect of game elements with a specific focus on affective and motivational aspects. In particular, we report a value-added online experiment, comparing a game-based version with a non-game-based version of an association learning task. In total, 61 participants completed the experiment. While we find comparable cognitive learning outcomes, we find medium and large differences in affective and motivational outcomes. Game elements are associated with an increase in positive affect and increased perceived competence compared to the non-game-based task. The game-based task was further perceived significantly more attractive and stimulating. Mediation models revealed that the increased cognitive cost introduced by game elements was effectively balanced by their benefits regarding motivation. The latter was partially mediated by changes in positive affect. In sum, the net cognitive outcome was the same for both tasks, but learners in the game-based condition were more positively affected, more motivated and felt more competent. Implications and future research directions are discussed.