Ecoquest - Evaluating the Impact of Meaningful Gamification on Sustainable Behavior Adoption in Urban Communities
Author
Dhakal, Aryan
Term
4. term
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-09-10
Abstract
This thesis investigates how meaningful gamification can support lasting sustainable behavior among residents in urban communities through the design, deployment, and evaluation of a user-centered mobile app. It addresses the challenges cities face in waste management, energy use, and resource consumption, and the difficulty of achieving long-term behavior change with traditional campaigns and standard digital initiatives alone. Building on self-determination theory, meaningful gamification, and persuasive technology models, the study develops and iteratively refines an app that combines challenges, progress tracking, and community features, with an emphasis on intrinsic motivation and psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness rather than superficial rewards. A mixed-methods research design is employed, including a literature review, participatory design activities, prototyping, and a subsequent quantitative and qualitative evaluation of app use in an urban context. Data on app engagement and self-reported sustainable behaviors are collected through surveys, usage logs, and user interviews, and are analyzed using statistical techniques and thematic analysis. Based on the excerpt, the empirical results are only outlined at a high level, but the study aims to identify which gamification elements most effectively motivate eco-friendly actions, how engagement changes over the initial deployment period, and which factors influence adoption and continued use, as well as users’ perceptions of the app’s impact on their sustainability practices. The thesis contributes to emerging research on gamification, behavior change, and human-centered informatics and offers practical recommendations for designers, policymakers, and environmental advocates seeking to create effective digital sustainability interventions in urban settings.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan meningsfuld gamification kan understøtte vedvarende bæredygtig adfærd blandt beboere i byområder gennem udvikling og afprøvning af en brugercentreret app. Udgangspunktet er de udfordringer, som byer står overfor ift. affaldshåndtering, energiforbrug og ressourceforvaltning, samt vanskelighederne ved at skabe langvarig adfærdsændring alene gennem traditionelle kampagner og digitale initiativer. Med afsæt i teorier om selvbestemmelse, meningsfuld gamification og persuasive teknologier udvikles og itereres en app, der kombinerer funktioner som udfordringer, fremskridtsvisning og fællesskabsfunktioner med fokus på indre motivation, autonomi, kompetence og samhørighed frem for overfladiske belønningssystemer. Studien anvender et mixed-methods design bestående af litteraturreview, deltagerinddragende designprocesser, prototyper og en efterfølgende kvantitativ og kvalitativ evaluering af appens brug i en urban kontekst. Data om brug, engagement og selvrapporterede bæredygtige handlinger indsamles gennem spørgeskemaer, logdata og interviews, og analyseres via statistiske metoder og tematisk analyse. Resultaterne, som i uddraget primært introduceres og rammesættes, skal identificere hvilke gamification-elementer der mest effektivt motiverer grøn adfærd, hvordan engagement udvikler sig over tid, og hvilke faktorer der påvirker adoption og vedvarende brug. Afhandlingen bidrager til forskningen i gamification, adfærdsændring og menneskecentreret informatik samt giver anbefalinger til designere, beslutningstagere og miljøaktører, der vil udvikle digitale interventioner til bæredygtige bysamfund.
[This abstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]