A systematic mapping study on the use of motivational theories in the design of motivational software

Background: Motivation is a key issue in people’s lives. Motivated people are more likely to accomplish the goals they set out to achieve. For this reason, it is essential to motivate people in their lives. At present, the world of information and communications technologies (ICT) is evolving rapidly, and humans are used to interacting with a large number of software applications. Therefore, it would be valuable to endow these apps with a motivating function. Objective: To identify the main characteristics of motivational software products that are based on motivational strategies and how they are used in order to pinpoint patterns and relationships. Method: A systematic mapping study of software applications that motivate users to achieve their goals. Results: We have retrieved large number of studies applying and combining multiple motivational strategies, leading to different ways of motivating users. Conclusion: We have built a knowledge base based on the connections/relationships between the employed motivational strategies, participant characteristics, the target behaviour to be encouraged or discouraged, and the devices on which motivational software runs.