Do gamified elements affect young people’s use behaviour on consumption-related mobile applications?

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether gamified elements affect the use behaviour of young people (between age 12 and 25 years) on consumption-related mobile applications. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted on 151 young people between the ages of 12 and 25 years. Findings The results showed that use behaviour on consumption mobile applications was affected by gamification. Behavioural intention to use was affected by the performance expectancy (PE) and effort expectancy (EE) of mobile application designs. Mobile applications characteristics do not affect behavioural intention to use mobile applications but through the mediator mobile application designs. Research limitations/implications This study also proposes mechanisms that explain how mobile apps characteristics affect EE and PE through app designs. Use behaviour is affected by Gamification elements. Affective need and social need link up uses and gratification (U&G) theory and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT)in gamification context. This study confirms the affective need affecting behavioural intention (Thongsri et al., 2018). In this regard, the mechanism between the relationship of affective need and behavioural intention was showed. Affective need through both PE and EE influencing behavioural intention. Practical implications Corporations should consider adding gamified elements into consumption-related mobile apps to increasing usage behaviour. Lucky draws, quizzes and games could be built in for mobile apps. Mobile app designs and characteristics could improve user experience by allowing consumers to perform their search and buying processes easily. Mobile app designs will not directly influence “behavioral intention to use” but use behaviour. Social implications Practitioners need to look at the problem from technological and customer perspectives. From technological viewpoint, both mobile apps characteristics and design are important in affecting user behaviour. From customer’s perspective, it would be helpful to add gaming elements to the mobile apps and induce emotion. One may also use visual image to create an immersive experience on the development of storyline. Prospective customers might focus on what is going on in the story and pay less attention on its own logic. Thus, simply lucky draw might not have a true effect since player have its own belief working. A suitable story element could have positive effect on mobile apps use behaviour. Originality/value This study is one of the first to examine the association between gamification and use behaviour on consumption-related mobile applications. A new framework was proposed by integrating UTAUT model and U&G theory.

Effects of a Story-Mapping Procedure Using the iPad on the Comprehension of Narrative Texts by Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study investigated the effects of a modified system of least prompts and an electronic story-mapping intervention for elementary students with autism spectrum disorder. Participants were first taught to identify story element definitions using constant time delay. Participants then listened to age-appropriate narrative texts with a problem–solution structure, completed an electronic story map, and orally answered questions related to the story elements. If unable to complete the map or answer questions, a system of least prompts was used that redirected the students to use provided supports and provided rereads of portions of the text. A multiple probe across participants design was used to examine the effects of the intervention. Outcomes indicated the intervention was effective for teaching story element definitions, labeling of the story element map on an iPad, and comprehension of story element questions. The limitations of the study as well as implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The Development and Enhancement of Narrative Skills in a Preschool Classroom: Towards a Solution to Clinician-Client Mismatch

Three studies focused on the development and enhancement of narrative skills within a preschool classroom. The purpose of Study 1 was to collect local norms on narrative development. Fifty-two preschool African American English speakers representing 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old age groups, narrated a familiar storybook. Some children in each age group evidenced use of nine story element types. Developmental changes were characterized by growth in types as well as tokens of story elements. Study 2 demonstrated that preschoolers’ narratives can be influenced by the narratives of their peers. Paired children narrated a familiar storybook to each other. The stories of paired children were significantly more similar in form (shared story element types) and content (shared lexical types) than those of unpaired children. Study 3 provided a preliminary test of an intervention designed to exploit the effect of peer models for long-term gain in narrative abilities. Two tutees practiced book narration following the clinician-prompted models of their peer tutors. As a result, the tutees demonstrated an expanded repertoire of story elements and an increased frequency of use of story element types in both trained and untrained stories. Their rate of growth in story element use was superior to that of their classmates who had not participated in the intervention. The benefit of peers for achieving instructional congruence in cases of clinicianclient mismatch is emphasized.