Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification

• Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamifying exercise are studied.
• Effects of gender, age, and time using the service are investigated.
• Social, hedonic, and utilitarian benefits of gamifying exercise are measured.
• Women report greater social benefits from the use of gamification.
• Perceived enjoyment and usefulness of the gamification decline with use.

In recent years, “gamification” has been proposed as a solution for engaging people in individually and socially sustainable behaviors, such as exercise, sustainable consumption, and education. This paper studies demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification in the context of exercise. On the basis of data gathered via an online survey (N = 195) from an exercise gamification service Fitocracy, we examine the effects of gender, age, and time using the service on social, hedonic, and utilitarian benefits and facilitating features of gamifying exercise. The results indicate that perceived enjoyment and usefulness of the gamification decline with use, suggesting that users might experience novelty effects from the service. The findings show that women report greater social benefits from the use of gamification. Further, ease of use of gamification is shown to decline with age. The implications of the findings are discussed.