Performance Effects of Immersion Game Elements

Last registered on February 18, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Performance Effects of Immersion Game Elements
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015248
Initial registration date
January 27, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 27, 2025, 10:43 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
February 18, 2025, 11:21 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Andreas Oesinghaus
Affiliation
University of St.Gallen
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Dennis Fehrenbacher
PI Affiliation
University of St. Gallen
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-02-20
End date
2025-04-25
Keywords
Behavior, Firms & Productivity, Lab, Labor
Additional Keywords
Gamification, Relative Performance Information, Management Control
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of rankings and immersion game elements on employee performance using a 2x2 experimental design. Individuals in the lab are randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: 1) ranking only, 2) immersion only, 3) ranking and immersion, 4) control. We formulate two hypotheses: 1) Rankings increase individuals' performance. 2) The effect of rankings on performance is stronger with immersion game elements present.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Oesinghaus, Andreas and Dennis Fehrenbacher. 2025. "Performance Effects of Immersion Game Elements." AEA RCT Registry. February 18. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15248-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We randomly assign participants to four experimental conditions: 1) ranking only, 2) immersion only, 3) ranking and immersion, 4) control.
Intervention Start Date
2025-02-20
Intervention End Date
2025-04-25

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Performance
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Performance = the number of letters the participants decode

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Identification with the avatar, degree of immersion, enjoyment, trait competitiveness, personality traits, perceived effort, gaming frequency and type, demographics
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Identification with the avatar, i.e. extend the participants identify with their avatar
Degree of immersion, i.e. how much the participants feel immersed in the experience of the experiment
Enjoyment, i.e. how much the participants enjoy the task and the experiment
Trait competitiveness, i.e. the degree to which participants are driven by their relative social status (interpersonal competitiveness) versus mastering the task (goal competitiveness)
Personality traits, i.e. consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish individuals (big five personality traits)
Perceived effort, i.e. participants’ perception of how much effort they put into the task
Gaming frequency and type, i.e. how much participants play video games (currently and in their teens) and what types (action, sports, ...)
Demographics, i.e. education, gender, age, work experience

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Our experiment uses a 2x2 between-subjects design.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Each participant is randomly assigned to one of four conditions at the beginning of his/her session.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
200 participants (no clusters)
Sample size: planned number of observations
200 participants
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
50
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethics Committee HSG
IRB Approval Date
2025-01-15
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan