This category includes affordances that provide an outcome or value separated from the activity itself SDT OCT: ownership and rewards, scarcity, and loss avoidance.
Ownership and Rewards
Affordances aimed at motivating users through extrinsic rewards or possession of real or virtual goods. Ownership is different from competence when acquiring goods is perceived by the user as the reason for interacting with the system, instead of feeling competent.
E1. Ownership
The system lets users own virtual goods or build an individual profile over time, which can be developed by continued use of the system and with which users can relate to.
Guiding Questions
Does the system feature an individual profile that the user can evolve over time?
Does the system let users own virtual goods?
Are the user profile and/or virtual goods meaningful and useful to the user?
Is progression of the user profile or acquisition of virtual goods a result of the user’s progression in the system?
E2. Rewards
The system offers incentive rewards for interaction and continued use, which are valuable to users and proportional to the amount of effort invested.
Guiding Questions
Does the system reward the user for completing tasks or progressing in their goals?
Does the system reward the user for continued use?
Are rewards proportional to the amount of effort, time, and dedication that the user put into the system?
Are the rewards meaningful and useful for the user?
E3. Virtual Economy
The system lets users exchange the result of their efforts with in-system or outside rewards.
Guiding Questions
Does the system let the user exchange their rewards or possessions with other users?
Does the system let the user exchange their rewards or possessions for other virtual goods?
Does the system let the user exchange their rewards or possessions for outside (real-life) rewards?
References
OCT Ownership and Possession
MDL Intrinsic rewards
HEX Player
KEG Extrinsic motivation
SUP Collect and activate power-ups
Scarcity
Affordances aimed at motivating users through feelings of status or exclusivity by means of acquisition of difficult or rare rewards, goods, or achievements.
E4. Scarcity
The system offers interesting features or rewards that are rare or difficult to obtain.
Guiding Questions
Does the system offer rewards or virtual goods that are rare or difficult to obtain?
Does the system limit certain features only to users with certain accomplishments?
Does the system let users display the rare or difficult goods or rewards that they have obtained?
Is the difficulty of obtaining such rare goods or rewards proportional to the amount of effort and time invested into the system?
References
OCT Scarcity and Impatience
Loss Avoidance
Affordances aimed at leading users to act with urgency, by creating situations in which they could lose acquired or potential rewards, goods, or achievements if they do not act immediately.
E5. Loss Avoidance
The system creates urgency through possible losses unless users act immediately.
Guiding Questions
Does the system feature timed tasks, which make the user lose an opportunity if they are not completed in time?
Does the user feel they are going to lose something unless they keep using the system continually (e.g. rewards for continued use, information, social connections, etc.)?
Does the system make the user feel that they should keep using the system due to the amount of time or effort already invested?
References
OCT Loss and Avoidance