Does Competition in Online Games Foster Green Behaviour in Life? The Relationship Between Gamification Affordances and Engagement in Green Behaviours

In this study, to address global sustainable development challenges, we focused on the use of gamification systems, such as Ant Forest, to promote individual sustainable behaviours. Our research model combined gamification affordances with cognitive evaluation theory. We conducted partial least squares structural equation modelling to analyse 485 valid questionnaire responses and illuminate how gamification can shape users’ green behaviours. We also employed partial least squares multigroup analysis to explore the moderating effects of competition affordances on psychological needs and other gamification affordances. The findings revealed that competition affordances influence the effectiveness of other gamification affordances and significantly alter users’ psychological mechanisms, thereby fostering their intrinsic motivation for sustainable behaviour. This paper underscores the potential of gamification to encourage sustainable behaviours and emphasises the need for a careful balance of competition within gamification design.