How feedback boosts motivation and play in a brain-training game
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Games are important vehicles for learning and behavior change as long as players are motivated to continue playing. We study the impact of verbal feedback in stimulating player motivation and future play in a brain-training game. We conducted a 2 (feedback valence: positive vs. negative) × 3 (feedback type: descriptive, comparative, evaluative) between-subjects experiment (N = 157, 69.4% female, Mage = 32.07). After playing a brain-training game and receiving feedback, we tapped players’ need satisfaction, motivation and intention to play the game again. Results demonstrate that evaluative feedback increases, while comparative feedback decreases future game play. Furthermore, negative feedback decreases players’ feeling of competence, but also increases immediate game play. Positive feedback, in contrast, satisfies competence and autonomy needs, thereby boosting intrinsic motivation. Negative feedback thus motivates players to repair poor short-term performances, while positive feedback is more powerful in fostering long-term motivation and play.
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Despite feedback's importance, the majority of studies (N=32) do not describe whether or what type of feedback was used.
“Thus, despite the critical role of feedback in motivation and learning (Burgers et al. 2015), the majority of studies (N = 32) do not describe whether or what type of feedback was employed.”
From Divergent Research Methods Limit Understanding of Working Memory Training (2020) · cites this paper as Burgers et al. 2015
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- Authors
- Burgers, C., Eden, A., van Engelenburg, M. D., & Buningh, S.
- Affiliations
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- DTV Consultants (Netherlands) (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Burgers, Christian
- Venue
- Computers in Human Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-07
- Volume
- 48
- Pages
- 94-103
- ISSN
- 0747-5632 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2013477750
- Cited by
- 245
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 41.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Computers in Human Behavior (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (314-98-002)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Games and Media
- Keywords
- verbal feedback, brain training games, player motivation, intrinsic motivation, evaluative feedback, comparative feedback, descriptive feedback, feedback valence, competency requirements, need for autonomy, need satisfaction, game-based learning
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