trenchant.org

Although gamification is apparently about “the infusion of game design techniques, game mechanics, and/or game style into anything,” an implicit goal is to transform the attitudes and behavior of users (students, workers, consumers, etc.) to be more like the attitudes and behavior of happy, engaged “gamers.” The problem is, gamification assumes a rattomorphic view of gamers in the appropriation of techniques and principles from games: we’re just like Skinner’s rats, all that is needed is some good old fashioned operant conditioning!

— Terry Schenold, The “Rattomorphism” of Gamification [via]