Shifting habits with gamification - Why positive reinforcement is the best tool parents have.

Shifting habits with gamification - Why positive reinforcement is the best tool parents have.

I’m not a huge fan of the word “gamify” or “gamification”, and it’s not the right term for The Chore App, but we’ll come back to this later. So what does gamification mean and why is it an effective way to create healthy habits? Gamification is the application of game mechanics to engage people in taking certain actions. Like how earning coins for hitting a block in Super Mario makes you want to hit more blocks. More specifically, gamification is harnessing the benefits of video game mechanics in a non-video game application. There’s a well-known gamification case study that drove many companies to explore how to capitalize on it. LinkedIn, the social platform for professionals, added a progress meter that shows how complete your profile is. This simple addition to the interface had a major impact on the user experience and caused profile completion rates to increase by over 55%. This is a great example of how gamification is typically used. The difference with The Chore App is that it’s not a gamified app like other chore apps. It’s an actual GAME that was made to be played by children. Maybe you're thinking, “I don’t want my kids playing another game. I want them to take chores seriously!”. Don’t stop reading yet! The information I’m about to share could make a huge difference for you and your family, whether you use The Chore App or not.

Game mechanics may be one of the most important tools parents have.

It has been proven time and again that positive reinforcement is the most effective way to shift our habits. Many parents struggle with this, either because they were raised differently, and hey, “we turned out fine!”, or they fear that rewards will teach children to only work when a reward is offered. This is 100% false! First of all, society is built around earning money (the reward) for a job well done, but that’s only part of it. Children who are rewarded for doing something are far more likely to continue doing it after the rewards are gone than children who are trying to avoid a negative outcome, like being yelled at or punished. Research out of Harvard University suggests that rewards are most effective for things that children can control such as doing homework, reading books or doing chores. There are some great examples of this, like a public school in Philadelphia that offered a $100 prize for all grade 8 students to avoid fighting. The important thing about this case is that although at first the children avoided conflicts because they wanted the money, it soon became about more than that. After a few months, when asked why they were no longer fighting, the children explained that they didn’t enjoy fighting anymore. This is because they experienced the benefits of avoiding conflict! If you want your children to do chores every day, the best way to encourage this is to reward them for doing chores, and after a while, children will learn the benefits of having a clean house, and feel the pride of having contributed to it.

It’s just as powerful for adults too!

Focusing on positive rewards is not just for kids. It’s a powerful tool  for adults too! As adults, we are constantly setting ourselves up for failure by focusing on avoiding negative outcomes.  For example, “I need to stop smoking because I’ll get lung cancer if I don’t.” Getting cancer is a valid concern and a good reason to stop, but that goal will not support you in cutting the habit. In fact, neuroscience has shown that it may actually push you to continue indulging. How do you turn this into a positive? Focus on how you feel when you don’t smoke. Reward yourself when you’re successful in abstaining for a period of time. Socialize your efforts and successes. Create mini-goals and celebrate them. This is the most powerful way to shift your habits in a sustainable way. This is how the Chore App supports families in creating healthy, lasting habits around chores! 

Want to learn more? Check out this TED talk by behavioral Neuroscientist Dr. Tali Sharot.

How are you using positive reinforcement to foster healthy habits in your kids? Will you be trying out The Chore App with your family?