More Competition, Less Interaction: Gamifying Lectures Using a Leaderboard Reduces Female Students' Social Engagement
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| Title: | More Competition, Less Interaction: Gamifying Lectures Using a Leaderboard Reduces Female Students' Social Engagement |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Nicolas Michinov (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Computing in Higher Education. 2026 38(1):386-412. |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 27 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Gamification, Females, Class Rank, Competition, Tests, Psychology, College Students, Interpersonal Relationship, Peer Relationship, Learner Engagement |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12528-025-09438-4 |
| ISSN: | 1042-1726 1867-1233 |
| Abstract: | Gamification, which consists of incorporating elements of game design into non-game contexts, has been widely used in educational environments to increase students' engagement. One such gamification strategy has used individual leaderboards, ranking students based on their performance in a particular task or activity such as a quiz. Most research has demonstrated a positive impact of leaderboards on various academic outcomes, and notably cognitive and behavioral engagement. However, as leaderboards are mostly based on competitive processes, they can be socially threatening and lead to a negative impact on social engagement for students who do not value competition, such as female students in psychology. The present study compared a 'leaderboard' condition based on performance on a series of quizzes to a 'non-leaderboard' condition among first-year female psychology students during a series of lectures. Results revealed that, independently of the students' initial competitive orientation, exposure to a leaderboard led to lower social engagement with peers. No effects were found on other forms of engagement. An improvement in performance on quizzes from the first to the last lecture was also observed, independently of whether students were exposed to a leaderboard or not. These findings suggest that the potentially negative effects of leaderboards on students' social engagement should be reconsidered taking into account differing student profiles regarding competition. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Notes: | https://osf.io/r48xv |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1509001 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Gamification, which consists of incorporating elements of game design into non-game contexts, has been widely used in educational environments to increase students' engagement. One such gamification strategy has used individual leaderboards, ranking students based on their performance in a particular task or activity such as a quiz. Most research has demonstrated a positive impact of leaderboards on various academic outcomes, and notably cognitive and behavioral engagement. However, as leaderboards are mostly based on competitive processes, they can be socially threatening and lead to a negative impact on social engagement for students who do not value competition, such as female students in psychology. The present study compared a 'leaderboard' condition based on performance on a series of quizzes to a 'non-leaderboard' condition among first-year female psychology students during a series of lectures. Results revealed that, independently of the students' initial competitive orientation, exposure to a leaderboard led to lower social engagement with peers. No effects were found on other forms of engagement. An improvement in performance on quizzes from the first to the last lecture was also observed, independently of whether students were exposed to a leaderboard or not. These findings suggest that the potentially negative effects of leaderboards on students' social engagement should be reconsidered taking into account differing student profiles regarding competition. |
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| ISSN: | 1042-1726 1867-1233 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12528-025-09438-4 |
