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| Title | Modeling Motivational Pathways in Personalized Gamified Learning |
| Authors | Matias Torrealba, Francisco Gutierrez |
| Publication date | 2026 |
| Abstract | Gamification has been used in introductory programming courses to enhance student engagement and motivation, yet empirical results remain inconsistent across learners. A key challenge is that gamified systems frequently apply uniform motivational strategies, overlooking individual differences in learners' motivational profiles and psychological needs. To address this challenge, we explored how HEXAD user types relate to academic motivation by analyzing the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, drawing on Self-Determination Theory. In this paper, we report an empirical study conducted with undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory programming course (), using validated instruments and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to examine indirect motivational pathways. The results indicate that achievement-oriented user types are positively associated with competence satisfaction, which in turn predicts higher intrinsic motivation and lower amotivation. These findings suggest that motivational traits influence learning engagement indirectly rather than through direct effects alone. This work contributes a theory-driven perspective on personalized gamification in computing education, offering design implications for adaptive learning systems that aim to support motivation through autonomy-supportive and competence-oriented mechanisms. |
| Pages | 117-133 |
| Conference name | Human-Computer Interaction in Games |
| Publisher | Springer Nature Switzerland AG (Cham, Switzerland) |
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