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Performance Effects of Noisy Relative Performance Information and Immersion Game Elements

Last registered on October 13, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Performance Effects of Noisy Relative Performance Information and Immersion Game Elements
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016866
Initial registration date
October 10, 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
October 13, 2025, 11:01 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Switzerland
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Andreas Oesinghaus
Affiliation
University of St.Gallen
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

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

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-10-13
End date
2025-10-17
Keywords
Behavior, Firms & Productivity, Lab, Labor
Additional Keywords
Gamification, Relative Performance Information, Noise, 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 immersion game elements and noisy relative performance information on employee performance using a 2x2 experimental design. Individuals in an online experiment are randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: 1) immersion only, 2) noise only 3) immersion and noise, 4) control. We formulate the hypothesis: The effect of immersion game elements on performance is stronger when relative performance information is noisy (as compared to not noisy).
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Fehrenbacher, Dennis and Andreas Oesinghaus. 2025. "Performance Effects of Noisy Relative Performance Information and Immersion Game Elements." AEA RCT Registry. October 13. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16866-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We randomly assign participants to four experimental conditions: 1) immersion only, 2) noise only 3) immersion and noise, 4) control.
Intervention Start Date
2025-10-13
Intervention End Date
2025-10-17

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, enjoyment, perceived effort, group identity, gaming frequency and type, demographics
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Identification with the avatar, i.e. extent the participants identify with their avatar
Enjoyment, i.e. how much the participants enjoy the task and the experiment
Perceived effort, i.e. participants’ perception of how much effort they put into the task
Group identity i.e. the extent the participants relate with their peers in the experiment
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