Exploring the effects of game elements in m-participation

Abstract

Emerging technologies make mobile devices promising tools to be used for e-participation. Some municipalities have already recognized this and created m-participation apps. One of the greatest challenges when it comes to civic engagement is encouraging citizens to become involved. This study explores the potential of game elements as motivational factor. An overview of e-participation tools that already employ game elements is given. The main contribution of this study are the findings of an experiment that investigated the effects of introducing game elements to an m-participation prototype. Our results show that while game elements provide an initial incentive to become active, the most important aspect for engaging people in urban governance processes is for the governance to show that they are listening and take civic input serious. We further provide recommendations for future research.