The Effects of Gamification Affordances on Consumers’ Intention to Participate in Cause-Related Marketing = 게임화 어포던스가 소비자의 공익연계마케팅 소비자의 참여 의도에 미치는 영향

국문 초록 (Abstract)

디지털 기반 사회공헌 마케팅(Cause-related Marketing, CRM)의 확산과 함께 장기적 참여를 유도하는 것이 중요한 과제로 부상하고 있다. 기존 CRM은 단기 참여를 이끌어내는 데에는 효과적이나, 지속적 이용을 유도하는 동기 메커니즘이 부족하다는 한계를 가진다. 이에 본 연구는 게이미피케이션 요소가 적용된 cause-related marketing Mini-apps(예: Ant Forest, Ant Farm 등)을 대상으로, 게이미피케이션 활용가능성(gamification affordances)—성과 시각화, 자율성 지원, 경쟁, 상호작용—이 소비자의 지속적 이용의도에 미치는 영향을 자기결정성이론(Self-Determination Theory, SDT) 관점에서 분석하였다. 또한 심리적 욕구 충족(자율성, 관계성)의 매개적 역할과 윤리적 자기효능감(ethical self-efficacy)의 조절효과를 포함한 구조적 연구모형을 제시하였다.
중국 본토 cause-related marketing Mini-apps 사용자 331명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였으며, SPSS, AMOS 구조방정식(SEM), PROCESS를 활용하여 실증 분석을 수행하였다. 분석 결과, 자율성 지원, 경쟁, 상호작용 어포던스는 자율성과 관계성을 유의하게 향상시킨 반면, 성과 시각화는 관계성에만 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 자율성과 관계성은 모두 지속적 이용의도에 긍정적 영향을 미쳤으며, 윤리적 자기효능감은 자율성·관계성과 지속 이용의도의 관계를 강화하는 조절효과를 보였다. 이는 윤리적 자기효능감이 높을수록 심리적 욕구 충족이 지속적 참여로 더욱 강하게 이어진다는 점을 의미한다.
본 연구는 CRM 참여의 장기 지속을 유도하기 위한 게이미피케이션 어포던스의 차별적 동기작용 메커니즘을 규명함으로써 이론적 기여를 제공하며, 사용자 동기 부여 설계·미션 구조화·윤리적 효능감 강화 전략 등 실무적 인사이트도 제시한다. 특히 자율성 기반 선택 설계와 경쟁·상호작용 요소 강화는 지속 참여를 촉진하는 핵심 요인임을 시사한다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In the context of rapidly expanding digital cause-related marketing (CRM), sustaining consumer engagement has emerged as a critical challenge, as traditional CRM campaigns often generate short-term participation rather than continuous involvement. To address this gap, this study examines how gamification affordances—achievement visualization, autonomy-support, competition, and interaction—affect consumers’ continuous usage intention of gamified CRM MiniApps, drawing upon the theoretical lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). A conceptual model linking gamification affordances, psychological need satisfaction (autonomy and relatedness), and continuous usage intention was developed, with ethical self-efficacy introduced as a moderating variable.
Data were collected from 331 Mainland Chinese users of CRM gamified platforms such as Ant Forest, Ant Farm, and Duoduo Orchard, and analyzed using SPSS, AMOS CB-SEM, and PROCESS. The results reveal differentiated effects of gamification affordances: autonomy-support, competition, and interactive affordances significantly enhanced autonomy and relatedness, while achievement visualization influenced only relatedness. Autonomy and relatedness positively predicted continuous usage intention. Moreover, ethical self-efficacy significantly strengthened the relationships between psychological need satisfaction and continuous usage intention, indicating that users with higher ethical self-efficacy are more likely to maintain long-term engagement.
This study advances gamification and CRM literature by identifying the distinct motivational roles of gamification affordances and demonstrating the psychological mechanism underlying sustained user participation. Practically, the findings offer guidance for designing CRM MiniApps that enhance intrinsic motivation through autonomy provision, social interaction, and well-structured challenges, while fostering ethical efficacy to amplify long-term engagement.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Abstract i
• Chapter 1. Introduction １
• 1.1. Study Background １
• 1.2. Purpose of Research ２
• Chapter 2. Literature review ４
• 2.1 Gamification Affordance ４
• 2.1.1 Gamification ４
• 2.1.2 Gamification affordance ５
• 2.2 Self-Determination Theory ７
• 2.3 Cause-related marketing １０
• 2.4 Ethical self-efficacy １３
• Chapter 3. Hypothesis １５
• 3.1 The impact of achievement visualization affordance on users’ sensing １５
• 3.2 The impact of autonomy-support affordances on users’ sensing １６
• 3.3 The impact of competitive affordance on users’ sensing １８
• 3.4 The impact of interactive affordance on the satisfaction of users' sensing １９
• 3.5 The impact of user psychological need satisfaction on intention to participate in cause-related marketing mini-apps ２０
• 3.6 The moderating role of ethical self-efficacy ２１
• 3.7 Research framework ２３
• Chapter 4. Methodology ２４
• 4.1 Sample ２４
• 4.2 Measures ２５
• Chapter 5. Results ３０
• 5.1 Demographic characteristics ３０
• 5.2 Reliability & validity measurement ３１
• 5.3 Confirmatory factor analysis ３３
• 5.4 Hypothesis tests ３８
• 5.4.1 Structural equation modeling ３８
• 5.4.2 The moderating effect of ethical self-efficacy on the relationship between the sense of autonomy and users’ continuous usage intention ４１
• 5.4.3 The moderating effect of ethical self-efficacy on the relationship between the sense of relatedness and users’ continuous usage intention ４２
• Chapter 6. Conclusion and discussion ４５
• 6.1 Conclusions ４５
• 6.2 Implication ４６
• 6.2.1 Theoretical implications ４６
• 6.2.2 Practical implications ４７
• 6.3 Limitations and future studies ４８
• Bibliography ５２
• Appendix ６１
• 국문 초록 ９０