Image credit: Emilio Garcia, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
I’m not a big-time video gamer. Partly out of necessity. With the right game, I’m the kind of guy who could lose 5 or 6 hours. Or a winter break. But I am all over the “brain gaming” service, Lumosity. So, I thought it would be interesting to dig into its motivational appeals, game elements and underlying instructional theories, if only to better understand why I (and apparently 50 other million people) are so hooked. And to show my folks I’m actually doing something with my Master’s degree.
Lumosity 101
The basic marketing premise of Lumosity is that it is “a personal trainer for your brain”. Here’s a sample Lumosity TV spot, if you haven’t seen it. This is a prototypical example of an edutainment based product positioning. Online gaming wrapped in the cloak of maximizing brain performance. All the fun (or much of it, at least) of “mindless” gaming. None of the mindless gaming guilt (I’m tuning my brain!).
Underlying Learning Theories
Lumosity reflects constructionist theories in that it is learning through doing. You improve the performance of your brain by active, on-going participation (doing the recommended games). It also reflects learned centered, constructivist theories in that each training program is customized to reflect your specific brain training needs as dictated by your self-assessment as well as your initial gaming performance.
But there are also a variety of components to the Lumosity brain-training program that are reflective of socio-constructivist theory. For example, Lumosity provides both a variety of brain scores as well as the ability to compare yourself with others (if you upgrade to premium) in your age group. This creates a competitive element, as does offering family plans where you can sign up any five people. Lumosity recognizes that peer group rivalry is vital to continued product usage. (Interesting side note, apparently you can rotate people in and out of your “family five” as they fall in and out of your favor. I personally plan on surrounding myself with mental patsies to bolster my self-esteem).
Underlying Motivational Principles
One of the reasons I believe Lumosity is “sticky” is that players are driven by the intrinsic rewards of seeing their brain performance scores improve over time (and feeling that their brains are getting sharper). Lumosity also incorporates all 3 Cs of Lepper’s ID Principles for Intrinsic Motivation. I have the control to choose when, how often, and even what brain functions to train against. I have consistent challenge. The game leverages scaffolding, introducing higher levels of difficulty as I improve, and backing down when I’m having an off day. Keeping me in Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. (AutoZone commercials suddenly playing in my head). The challenge is always there to try do one better than my previous best and stay ahead of my son’s (or girlfriend’s) performance. There is also variability in which games I am presented with, ensuring a degree of fresh challenge. Lumosity also taps into my natural curiosity regarding my own potential (just how high can I go?).
Lepper’s other element of intrinsic motivation is fantasy. I think Lumosity games are intentionally anchored in the non-fantastical, as this might undermine the perceived importance, value, and scientific relevance of the brain games. That said, I did notice the presence of some cute little penguins in a new game about spatial orientation (which BTW I stink at; my penguin is always in tears!).
Finding flow in Lumosity
As an adult I have rarely experienced the flow state in playing video games talked about by Csikszentmihalyi (not to be confused with the Superman villain Mxyzptlk). I rarely allow myself to play enough to achieve that state. But I do feel flow at times when I’m doing the Lumosity brain workouts. I am fully concentrating. I know exactly what I need to do. I have constant feedback regarding how my latest score compares to past performance. And I do hit a point where it does feel effortless. And because I’ve convinced myself that there is inherent value in these games (and because each individual game is only a minute or two long), I allow myself to disappear into Lumosity and take a mental gaming break (which then often extends longer then planned, as leaving that proximal state is not easy, as any parent who’s ever forcibly dragged their child away from the Wii will surely attest.)
Now, whether or not my Lumosity Performance Index really reflect my brain being optimized is a whole different question. I did note that they stopped using the term “Brain Performance index”. And yes, I am sure similar gains could be potentially achieved through a variety of non-game-based activities (like training my memory by looking out a window each day and writing down what I recall). But I feel like I am improving in a tangible way and that playing Lumosity is worthwhile work. That’s Jane McGonigal’s whole concept of blissful productivity. And that’s why I am hooked on Lumosity and I think so many others are too.
Now you’ll have to excuse me, I’ve got a depressed penguin to tend to.
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