The effects of gamification on engagement and response accuracy in discriminatory sensory testing

Abstract

Gamification, a concept that has been increasingly leveraged by different sectors, aims to increase engagement and performance in regards to a given activity. Few studies have applied gamification principles to sensory methods to improve panelist engagement and test performance. The objective of the present study was to determine whether gamification has an effect on panelist engagement and performance in discriminatory sensory testing. Specifically, this study applied three individual game elements (progress bar, feedback, narrative), and their combination, to a series of triangle tests. For each gamified condition, subject engagement and discriminatory performance was compared to a control condition with no gaming elements. This research demonstrates that a combination of game elements can increase subject engagement during a discrimination sensory task. Despite this, the average number of correct triangles did not increase. The findings also show the relationship between panelist engagement and performance is nuanced, and task difficulty plays an important role. Overall, this study provides a baseline understanding of the methodical application of gamification in a discrimination sensory task.