Intrinsic Motivation in Microcomputer Games

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Abstract
Intrinsic motivational effects of an instructional microcomputer game (Mission:Algebra™) were compared with those of a noninstructional microcomputer game (Lode Runner™). The study examined Challenge, Curiosity, Control, and Fantasy aspects of the two games as factors of intrinsic motivation. It also examined differences in intrinsic motivation between boys and girls, among players with different levels of Perceived Creativity (Williams, 1980), and among subgroups formed by these factors. At the outset, motivation for the noninstructional game was higher than for the instructional game and consisted mainly of Challenge and Curiosity. But it dropped significantly as students gained experience. Motivation for the instructional game on the other hand, did not drop with experience but increased marginally and consisted mainly of the factor labelled Control. There were no significant differences between boys and girls in their level of motivation. There were no significant interactions with levels of Perceived Creativity. Each of the Challenge, Curiosity, Control, and Fantasy factors varied in ways that seemed reasonable and contributed to students’ overall expression of motivation. This validates these factors as useful for studying intrinsic motivation. The lack of gender differences indicates that microcomputer games provide a suitable environment for motivating both boys and girls. The factors of intrinsic motivation need to be understood and harnessed to create more effective instructional microcomputer games.

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