Successful gamification is deeply rooted in behavioral psychology. The Self-Determination Theory is a framework proposed by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan that is used to study human motivation. According to the Self-Determination Theory, there are three basic psychological needs, at least one of which must be met for human motivation to occur. These three factors are:
Autonomy: The need to have power over one’s choices; behavior occurs willingly without feelings of control or pressure.
Competence: The need to feel effective and useful in one’s actions. The development of new skills and mastery of these also plays a key role in this factor.
Relatedness: The need for connection and a feeling of belonging with other people.
In addition to these, the Self-Determination Theory differentiates between two main types of motivation:
Intrinsic motivation: This describes motivation that is fueled by excitement, enjoyment, and genuine interest in the subject matter. The motivation comes from within the person and is not influenced by external pressure. Studies show that intrinsic motivation leads to higher academic achievement.
Extrinsic motivation: This type of motivation stems from an external source. The activity is pursued due to external rewards or punishments; thus, the decision to engage in the activity is not made autonomously but controlled externally. Examples of extrinsic motivation are badges, money, or status.
Generally, designers should try to prioritize intrinsic motivators in their designs. An activity that is enjoyable in itself will lead to more user engagement than one that relies solely on external rewards. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is successful in the short term but struggles to build lasting habits. A combination of both motivation types can be useful when extrinsic motivators are used at the beginning, during the onboarding process, to provide instant rewards, which can lead to further engagement. This could take the form of “Welcome Badges” or easily earned points. An example of this is the language learning app Duolingo, where users are rewarded with experience points from the first lesson on and can see their initial progress as well as daily streaks to build a habit. To build long-lasting engagement, intrinsic motivators need to be at play. The user’s psychological needs must be met, this can also be seen in the example of Duolingo. Users unlock new levels and begin to understand words and sentences in their chosen language, which gives them a feeling of competence. They can personalize their lessons and focus on weak areas, promoting autonomy. Finally, they can see themselves and others on the leaderboard, which caters to the need for relatedness. Ideally, extrinsic motivational factors engage the user initially, and intrinsic motivational factors gradually replace them to create long-term engagement.
Reversing this order, adding extrinsic motivational factors to an activity already fueled by intrinsic motivation, can yield negative results. This phenomenon is called the “Overjustification Effect,” and it describes how an external reward, such as money, can weaken or destroy the enjoyment of an intrinsically motivated activity, like drawing. This happens because the perception of motivation changes: suddenly, activities are completed for a reward rather than for the initial enjoyment. In a language learning app, this could mean that users start with intrinsic motivation to learn a new language but shift their focus to external motivators like badges and points, meaning they use the app not to learn but to earn points.
The Octalysis Framework also expands on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. It distinguishes between the left brain, which in this case represents extrinsic motivation, and the right brain, which represents intrinsic motivation. This distinction is purely symbolic and does not refer to the literal left and right sides of the brain. Chou states that this terminology is interchangeable, one of the core drivers is emotional, while the other is logical and he merely used this terminology because it is well known.
Following this distinction, Development & Accomplishment, Ownership & Possession, and Scarcity & Impatience all belong to the left-brain category. All of these are externally driven, and the motivation is goal-oriented.
On the other hand, Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback, Social Influence & Relatedness, and Unpredictability & Curiosity fall into the right-brain category. The motivation here is inherent in the process, and the focus lies on creativity and curiosity.
The two remaining drives, Epic Meaning & Calling and Loss & Avoidance, are not strictly part of either category but are still essential for creating motivation.
Sources:
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a Self-Determination Theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions [Preprint]. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
Morris, L. S., Grehl, M. M., Rutter, S. B., Mehta, M., & Westwater, M. L. (2022). On what motivates us: A detailed review of intrinsic v. extrinsic motivation. Psychological Medicine, 52(10), 1801–1816. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722001611
Dah, J., Hussin, N., Zaini, M. K., Helda, L. I., Senanu, D., Ametefe, A. A. A., & Caliskan, A. (2023). Gamification equilibrium: The fulcrum for balanced intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards in electronic learning systems. International Journal of Serious Games, 10(3), 83–116. https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v10i3.633
Egbert, J., & Shahrokni, S. A. (2022). Incorporating gamification into technology-enhanced language learning. Issues and Trends in Learning Technologies, 10(1). https://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/itlt/article/id/4872/
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Self-Determination Theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness (PDF version). Retrieved from https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020_RyanDeci_CEP_PrePrint.pdf
Chou, Y.-K. (n.d.). The Octalysis Framework for Gamification & Behavioral Design. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://yukaichou.com/gamification-examples/octalysis-complete-gamification-framework/
