Promoting green mobility through gamified transportation campaigns Simone Bassanelli1,2, Federica Gini1,2, Antonio Bucchiarone1 and Annapaola Marconi1 1 Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, Trento, 38123, Italy 2 University of Trento, Address, Via Calepina 14, Trento, 38122, Italy Abstract This paper explores the impact of gamified campaigns within the AirBreak project on promoting sustainable urban mobility. Designed to induce lasting behavior change, the campaigns target diverse scenarios, including home-to-work, home-to-school, and leisure travel. The study assesses the overall effectiveness of these campaigns, analyzing changes in individual mobility choices and their contribution on reducing CO 2 emissions. Additionally, the paper delves into the motivational aspects of the campaigns, identifying features that influenced participants towards sustainable mobility. Understanding these motivational factors provides insights into key elements driving positive behavioral changes. Moreover, the research investigates user characteristics influencing consistent engagement in sustainable mobility choices. This analysis enhances our understanding of the factors shaping participants’ inclination towards adopting and sustaining eco-friendly travel practices. Grounded in theoretical foundations, the study details data collection and analysis methods, presenting findings that offer valuable perspectives for future interventions and policy considerations in the context of gamified sustainable transportation campaigns. Keywords gamification, green mobility, green transportation, behavior change, sustainability1 initiatives aimed at increasing citizens’ awareness and 1. Introduction involvement in the transformative process, influencing their mobility habits in a gradual yet profound manner Mobility assumes a crucial role in contemporary urban [1]. settings, shaping the way citizens engage with the city, In many instances, citizens’ everyday mobility access essential services, and participate in urban life. decisions are shaped by ingrained habits and The effectiveness and organization of mobility, as influenced by inaccurate or outdated beliefs [5]. It is highlighted by Vesco et al. [1], significantly influence essential for citizens to be well-informed about the citizens’ experiences within the city. In this dynamic mobility services available in their city and their actual context, cities grapple with a formidable challenge. value, encompassing considerations such as time, cost, Administrators must not only ensure citizens’ right to and environmental impact. A heightened awareness is mobility and seamless access to local services, but also necessary for individuals to recognize the strive to minimize the economic, social, and repercussions of their daily choices, including their environmental costs associated with the mobility impact on traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and social system. Addressing this challenge necessitates a costs [6]. Crucially, citizens should perceive comprehensive approach that efficiently leverages themselves as integral to a community where their existing mobility resources while integrating and collective daily choices play a pivotal role in advancing promoting new or emerging mobility services, city-level mobility strategic objectives [7]. In essence, fostering an integrated, efficient, and sustainable individuals and communities must cultivate a sense of mobility ecosystem [2]. In pursuit of this objective, responsibility, contributing to the development of a cities are strategically planning and implementing new cultural paradigm for both urban and rural interventions across infrastructures, services, and mobility. mobility policies. While these elements are pivotal in In recent years, substantial efforts have focused on advancing sustainability and integration in mobility, it utilizing interactive technologies to enhance citizen is crucial to recognize the equally significant socio- awareness, promote active participation, and induce technical dimension of user acceptance and adoption behavior change toward a more sustainable lifestyle. [3, 4]. Innovative policies, infrastructures, and services Gamification, identified as a persuasive technology run the risk of falling short if not complemented by with significant potential [8, 9], is increasingly 8th International GamiFIN Conference 2024 (GamiFIN 2024), April 2- 5, 2024, Ruka, Finland. sbassanelli@fbk.eu (S. Bassanelli); federica.gini@unitn.it (F. Gini); bucchiarone@fbk.eu (A. Bucchiarone); marconi@fbk.eu (A. Marconi) 0000-0001-6061-8169 (S. Bassanelli); 0000-0003-3427-3747 (F. Gini); 0000-0003-1154-1382 (A. Bucchiarone); 0000-0001-8699- 7777 (A. Marconi) © 2024 Copyright for this paper by its authors. The use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). CEUR ceur-ws.org Workshop ISSN 1613-0073 Proceedings 183 recognized for its applicability in the mobility domain personalized cooperative and competitive game [10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15], as well as in various other mechanics. The goal is to encourage and sustain the environmental sustainability domains [16, 17, 18, 19]. adoption of more sustainable mobility habits among The core concept involves harnessing the motivational the populace. Moreover, AIR-BREAK focuses on and persuasive influence of games through the design community building. By actively involving citizens in of systems that effectively utilize and integrate game AIR-BREAK initiatives and events, the project aims to concepts and elements [20, 21]. Gamified systems foster the creation of a local community of users. incentivize individuals to make specific decisions or Tailored behavioral change programs are deployed to perform essential tasks, crucial for achieving valuable reach diverse user segments, including primary, objectives [22]. This transformation occurs by secondary, and high school students, as well as converting potentially unattractive actions into employees. The intention is to create synergies with enjoyable and rewarding experiences [21]. other AIR-BREAK initiatives, promoting a The development of urban mobility policies has collaborative and supportive environment. Finally, become crucial for governments and stakeholders AIR-BREAK emphasizes the importance of producing aiming to support sustainability goals [23]. Research measurable outcomes. This entails evaluating the indicates that active and sustainable mobility can play project’s impact in terms of engagement, retention, a vital role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions [24]. increased awareness, and behavioral change. The Despite the societal and individual advantages of insights gained from these measurable outcomes will active mobility, there is a challenge in convincing be instrumental in refining and optimizing subsequent people to shift from car-centric lifestyles [25]. phases of the AIR-BREAK project, ensuring continuous Therefore, we implemented two gamified sustainable improvement based on real-world experiences. mobility campaigns providing more incentives for Within the framework of the AIR-BREAK project, users to adopt environmentally sustainable methods we have conceptualized and executed diverse of travel. sustainable mobility campaigns focusing on distinct The two campaigns, incorporated within the AIR- mobility contexts, including home-to-work mobility, BREAK project2, have been designed and implemented home-to-school mobility, leisure, and free time mobility. across various contexts such as commuting between These initiatives cater to a range of end-user groups, home and work, home-to-school travel, leisure encompassing the general public, students, and activities, and free time mobility. The aim of this employees. The subsequent section provides a concise initiative is not only to alter users’ mobility patterns overview of each of these planned actions. AIR-BREAK during the campaign but also to instill a lasting mobility campaigns have been implemented through behavior change. the Play&Go platform that supports the definition and In this paper, we present an exhaustive description management of different types of sustainable mobility of the AIR-BREAK project and the implemented campaigns, customizable with respect to mobility campaigns (Section 2). In Section 3, we present the objectives and target users. The customization of theory and hypotheses that guide this paper. In Section campaigns can concern: the means of mobility to be 4, we introduce the methods used for the promoted, the travel validation criteria, the questionnaire creation and evaluation, data collection, competitive/cooperative game elements and statistical analysis. Then, in Sections 5 and 6, we implemented, and the real incentives provided by the report and discuss the findings after the analysis. We campaign [26]. Users interact with the system through conclude the paper with the conclusions and future the Play&Go App (see Figure 1), which supports works related to the AIR-BREAK project in Section 7. various functionalities. In addition to player registration, discovering and registering for active campaigns, managing the player’s profile, and 2. The AIR-BREAK Project inspecting campaign results, the app incorporates a robust tracking system able to track single and The AIR-BREAK project is centered on the core multimodal sustainable trips. This system collects objective of informing and heightening citizens’ journey data to assign rewards, modify the game status awareness about sustainable mobility services, with for players based on their activities, and calculate the the goal of fostering the adoption of eco-friendly travel reduction in CO2 emissions associated with habits. In outlining the project’s scope, various sustainable transportation choices instead of car use. campaigns have been designed to address four key The app employs a specific formula that considers the objectives. Firstly, the project endeavors to actively kilometers traveled using different sustainable engage citizens, making them aware of both existing transportation means available in various mobility and newly introduced mobility resources. campaigns. Furthermore, users can access information Simultaneously, efforts are directed towards elevating on weekly and global rewards, as well as the rules and their awareness regarding the significant impact their regulations of different campaigns and engage in filling daily mobility choices can have. The ultimate ambition out questionnaires. This multifaceted approach is to contribute to the establishment of a new cultural enhances user engagement, promotes sustainable norm for urban and rural mobility within the city mobility practices, and contributes to both individual community. Building on this foundation, AIR-BREAK rewards and environmental conservation efforts. seeks to instigate a voluntary travel behavior change. This is achieved through a strategic blend of virtual (game-based) and tangible incentives, leveraging 2 https://airbreakferrara.net/ 184 Figure 1: The Play&Go App. weekly challenges. This personalization is achieved through a Recommendation System, ensuring that 2.1. Urban Mobility Campaign challenges are not only motivating but also realistic, avoiding frustration stemming from unattainable The Urban Mobility Campaign (UMC) is an initiative targets [30]. The game seamlessly integrates both encouraging citizens to actively embrace sustainable single-player and multiplayer challenges, catering to a transportation through gamification. Registration and diverse range of player preferences. Single-player utilization of the Play&Go app for tracking eco-friendly challenges span various types, including performance- trips are essential components of engagement. Central based, repetitive behavior, surveys, and events, each to the gaming experience in the UMC are the Eco- contributing to the player’s Eco-Leaves points. In Leaves Points. These points serve to keep the user multiplayer challenges, players experience a sense of motivated [27] and as a cornerstone for progression in community and relatedness. These challenges come in both weekly and global leaderboards [28], thereby cooperative, time-based competitive, and influencing the allocation of weekly and final prizes. performance-based competitive modes. Cooperative Earned for each tracked and validated sustainable trip, challenges necessitate cumulative effort from the calculation hinges on factors such as the distance participants, fostering a collaborative spirit. covered and the sustainability of the chosen means of Meanwhile, competitive challenges introduce a transportation. The core mechanics of the game captivating dimension with fixed targets, time revolve around trip tracking, wherein players specify constraints, and performance-based criteria. their mode of — be it walking, biking, public A pivotal aspect of the UMC is the continuous transportation, or car-pooling. An automatic evaluation of player performance through game levels. validation process ensures the accuracy of each trip, Players progress through different levels such as Green avoiding potential game abuse [26]. Lover, Green Warrior, and Green Guru based on the A thoughtful design choice involves the total points they accumulate. Importantly, this system introduction of daily limits on tracked kilometers and ensures that certain features of the game become trips to prevent disproportionate and unnecessary use available to players upon reaching specific levels, of transportation means. This limitation ensures a adding an element of progression and achievement to more equitable gaming experience for all participants, the gaming experience. The gameplay adopts a weekly narrowing the performance gap between top players structure, fostering a sense of regularity and allowing and others actively engaged in the campaign. for the creation of weekly leaderboards. These Furthermore, constraints tied to the validity of tracked leaderboards, reflecting performance within a specific trips based on location — valid only if the origin or time-frame, contribute to the excitement of weekly destination falls within the specific territory — add an prizes offered by local sponsors. Importantly, this additional layer of relevance and authenticity to the structure provides newcomers with a fair opportunity gameplay. Beyond the core mechanics, players have to compete with seasoned players, leveling the playing opportunities to earn bonus Eco-Leaves points. These field and maintaining a vibrant gaming community. To incentives include inviting friends to join the game, incentivize sustained participation, the UMC concludes achieving success in weekly challenges, and obtaining with final prizes awarded to top players on the global special badges that come with associated Eco-Leaves leaderboard. Both weekly and final prizes are bonuses. Participants can meticulously monitor their generously offered by local associations and sponsors, mobility history and achievements through enhancing the overall appeal of the campaign. personalized profiles, which showcase a diverse array of badges symbolizing accomplishments. These badges range from achieving specific Eco-Leaves milestones 2.2. High School Challenge to showcasing preferences in transportation modes, reinforcing the exploration of various mobility The High School Challenge (HSC) is a competition alternatives [29]. designed for high school classes, with the goal of Distinguishing itself from a one-size-fits-all encouraging sustainable and active commuting from approach, the UMC thrives on its highly personalized home to school. Participants utilize the Play&Go 185 application to track their eco-friendly journeys. Each The first research question stems from the fact that student not only competes individually in the UMC but the use of a gameful system does not mean guaranteed also contributes to their class’s overall standing in the success [20, 33]. Then, it is crucial to report whether inter-school competition. Attractive prizes await the the campaign was effective in enhancing participants’ most active and sustainable classes. The class sustainable choices in terms of mobility. The second registration process involves the following steps, research question stems from the need to identify facilitated by a designated reference teacher: whether specific elements could be useful in the 1. Participants download the Play&Go creation of future sustainable mobility campaigns. The application and register for the game. last research question is based on data in the literature 2. The reference teacher, using an institutional [34, 35, 36] suggesting that users’ demographic email account, communicates the group data characteristics can modulate their appreciation for through the registration form. gameful systems. 3. Teams are formed to compete in the competition’s rankings. Teams must comprise students from the same 4. Methods class, with a minimum of 10 students per team or the entire class for classes with fewer than 10 students. 4.1. Questionnaire development Classes achieving at least 90% participation receive an initial bonus of 300 Eco-Leaves points. Teachers Two questionnaires were used to evaluate users’ interested in joining can also be part of the class team, appreciation for the campaign and behavioral change with a limit of one team per teacher. Participants in terms of sustainable mobility. The first pre- continue to use the Play&Go application to track their campaign questionnaire consists of six categorical sustainable journeys. Each participant not only items related to the background information on users’ competes individually but also contributes to their preferences for means of transportation — including team’s performance in the inter-school competition. In bus, train, bike, walk, and car —, and one categorical this competition, all Eco-Leaves points earned by team item for information about the app. The post-campaign members throughout the competition’s duration using questionnaire repeats the same questions as the first the Play&Go App are considered. The team one, and then, for the core part, a model with five latent accumulating the highest number of Eco-Leaves and 13 manifest variables was formulated following points, calculated as the average value of its members, the results of previous campaign analyses [31, 32]. emerges as the winner. These items were collected using a 5-point Likert-scale Throughout the competition, the global with a magnitude from 1 (Disagree) to 5 (Agree). leaderboard of classes can be accessed via the Play&Go Lastly, three open questions collected detailed App and the AIR-BREAK website. Upon the information on appreciated and non-appreciated competition’s conclusion, the teams leading the HSC elements of the campaign3. The theory of the core part Global Eco-Leaves Points Rankings will be awarded consisted of five core constructs: intrinsic motivation collective prizes. (IM), extrinsic motivation (EM), behavior change (BC), tool attractiveness (TA), and future behavior (FB), and a single item for the evaluation of the Overall 3. Theory and hypotheses appreciation (OA). Moreover, items related to the appreciation of game elements (TA2 — [Specific game Given the various gamified campaigns in the AIR- element] made it enjoyable to participate in the BREAK project, all aligned with a common theme, we [campaign] initiative), and those related to behavior identified the need to develop a cross-sectional change due to game elements (BC3 — [Specific game questionnaire applicable across all campaigns that element] prompted me to go more often by incorporate game elements. From a long-term analysis environmentally friendly means) were repeated for of previous campaigns [31, 32], we identified a each game element entered into the campaign to different interaction between factors in relation to the assess how much specific game elements contributed nature of different rewards and game elements, and to campaign appreciation and actual behavioral specific correlations between some factors, such as change. campaign appreciation and behavioral change. Therefore, we decided to base the new questionnaire on specific relationships. Then, we formulated three 4.2. UMC participation research questions. RQ1. To what extent was the campaign effective in The UMC (introduced in Section 2.1), ran from April enhancing participants’ sustainable choices in terms of 17, 2023, to September 24, 2023. Ferrara citizens mobility? tracked their sustainable movements through the RQ2. Is the preference for specific features of the Play&Go app, including cycling, walking, taking the campaign related to users’ motivation in making bus, train, or carpooling. Participants actively took sustainable choices in terms of mobility? part in personalized mobility challenges, striving to RQ3.Are there any characteristics of the users that climb the rankings and win various weekly and final make them more prone to appreciate the campaign? prizes. The results of the campaign have been highly 3 The full questionnaire can be retrieved here: https://osf.io/6mrga/?view_only=d9ecfb3b679e41ecbb0fde89404b 2e7b 186 encouraging in terms of participation. As depicted in analysis. SEM investigates the connections among Figure 2, a total of 258 citizens joined the initiative, variables, encompassing both observable and latent with 55% being women and 45% men. In terms of age ones, within a model specified by the researcher based distribution, participants between the ages of 35-50 on theoretical considerations and prior findings. The accounted for 37.8%, while those in the 20-35 age model parameters are typically estimated using group constituted 17.07%. Individuals between the techniques like maximum likelihood from the ages of 50-70 comprised 43.9%, and those under 20 covariance matrix of the observable variables [37, 38]. made up 1.22%. To provide us with detailed feedback Statistical evaluation of model fit is often performed on their enjoyment and effectiveness in behavioral using the chi-square (𝜒²) goodness-of-fit test. change, the questionnaire was sent to participants at Additionally, the Root Mean Square Error of the end of the campaign. Approximation (RMSEA), derived from the 𝜒² test, provides a measure on an absolute scale, reflecting the model’s fit to the data while considering factors such as model size and sample size. In this study, RMSEA values below 0.05, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) values above 0.96, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) below 0.08 are considered indicative Figure 2: UMC Participation and Impact. of a satisfactory fit [37, 39, 40], indicating that there is no need to arrange items and the structure differently. 4.3. HSC participation Lastly, many authors do not rely on the analysis of 𝜒² value and its significance, as it is highly subject to The HSC (introduced in Section 2.2) lasted from April sample size [41]. We therefore preferred to rely on the 3 to June 4, 2023, and utilized the Play&Go App. ratio of chi-square to degrees of freedom (df). Values Through this application, students and teachers less than 2 are often considered acceptable. MPLUS tracked their sustainable movements (cycling, (version 8.4)4 was used to run the CFA. walking, bus, train, or carpooling), engaging in team play, and climbing the rankings to win final prizes. 4.5. Questionnaire analysis 4.5.1. Participants We examined information gathered from 117 participants (female = 67, aged between 16 to 70 years Figure 3: HSC Participation and Impact. old), who actively participated in two campaigns: HSC (N = 26) and UMC (N = 91), and completed the final Notably, the HSC featured 7 teams (see Figure 3), questionnaire through Google Form. Of the 117 with 5 teams composed of students and 2 teams participants who completed the final questionnaire, 74 consisting of teachers, adding a collaborative (all from the UMC campaign) had also completed a pre- dimension to the challenge. The overarching goal of campaign questionnaire. the HSC was to promote sustainable commuting between home and school, as well as during leisure 4.5.2. Analysis time, for all students aged 14 and above. This objective was achieved through cooperative efforts within We proposed an analysis method for the classes and inter-class competition among high questionnaire. Not to weight the number of items schools. To provide us with detailed feedback on their related to the number of game elements, any item enjoyment and effectiveness in behavioral change, the related to the appreciation of game elements was questionnaire was sent to participants at the end of the averaged (TA2), as were those related to behavior campaign. change due to game elements (BC3). In addition, as defined in other scales, such as MEEGA+ [42], and SUS 4.4. Confirmatory factor analysis [43], we identified a unique final value to provide a holistic evaluation of the Before analyzing the data comprehensively, we campaign, defined as “total score”, ranging from 0 to 1, carefully checked the theoretical arrangement of the based on the formula 𝑋⁄5, where 𝑋 represents the items against the data obtained through a mean of the answers calculated for each user. The confirmatory analysis, and then grouped the items choice of this formula falls back on the fact that, thanks differently within the questionnaire. Confirmatory to the 5-point Likert-type answers, it is possible to factor analysis (CFA) is employed to assess and obtain a score ranging from 0 to 1, making it feasible to potentially refine a predefined model depicting the create a priori thresholds for campaign satisfaction, relationships between latent variables (factors) and and because a successful sustainable mobility observable (or measured) variables. CFA falls under campaign assumes that game elements and the the umbrella of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), a platform have been implemented properly to support statistical method that amalgamates multivariate behavioral change during the campaign, and in the techniques such as regression analysis and factor long term. Furthermore, these elements succeed in 4 https://www.statmodel.com/ 187 motivating users who are driven by intrinsic or the post-campaign survey and in particular, analyzing extrinsic motivation equally. The choice of using a total items related to behavior change (items BC1 and BC2), comprehensive score stems from the need for the results showcased the capacity to change players’ unambiguous value to understand how successful behaviors: 94% of players stated they felt motivated to sustainable mobility campaigns have been perceived. adopt more sustainable mobility habits. Specifically, The questionnaire’s design allows for the evaluation of 79% incorporated sustainable mobility habits into how various game elements impact campaign their daily commutes, and 77% for leisure travel. appreciation and user motivation. Additionally, it Finally, a significant outcome is the participants’ facilitates the summary, on one hand, and comparison, satisfaction, with 98% expressing a definite on the other, of the distinct campaigns within the AIR- willingness to participate in future editions (item FB2). BREAK projects. While a more in-depth analysis of This initiative also led to the formation of a local each individual campaign is planned for the future, this community of motivated and active users advocating paper concentrates on the overarching aspects shared for more sustainable mobility. by both campaigns. To answer to RQ1, we evaluated the effectiveness of the campaign by comparing participants’ sustainability scores at the beginning and at the end of the campaign through a Wilcoxon test for paired samples. Sustainability scores were calculated using the following formula: (𝑏𝑢𝑠 + 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 + 𝑏𝑖𝑘𝑒 + 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘)⁄4 + (7 − 𝑐𝑎𝑟) 2 with bus, train, bike, walk, and car being participants’ answers to a 6-point Likert scale on their mobility habits (1 = almost never, 6 = more than once a day). We examined participants who completed both the initial and final questionnaires to assess the effectiveness of the platform and gain insights into how users’ habits before using the app might impact Figure 4: Use of different transportation means in post-results. We ran a series of Spearman correlations UMC. between EM, IM, the total score and (i) pre- sustainability scores, (ii) post-sustainability scores, For what concerns the HSC campaign, more than and (iii) ∆ scores, representing the difference between 100 students and teachers have participated in the pre and post campaign scores. Furthermore, a HSC initiative, with over 3,000 tracked journeys, in Wilcoxon test was used to compare participants’ Play&Go, covering more than 9,000 sustainable scores in the EM and IM constructs. To answer to RQ2, kilometers (of which 27% were by bike and another we analyzed participants’ open-ended responses to 27% walking - zero impact), and nearly 2 tons of CO2 the question "What did you like the most about the saved (see Figure 5). Analyzing the post-campaign campaign?" we categorized them into two groups survey, the experiment has demonstrated the ability to based on their answers. Users’ answers were short and change players’ behaviors (items BC1 and BC2): referred to specific elements of the campaign (e.g., almost 70% of players claim to have adopted more "rewards", "points", "the initiative", "the idea"). We sustainable mobility habits in their home-school (or used a Mann-Whitney test to compare participants’ home-work) commutes, while 75% have improved total scores. Then, we ran a rank-transformed ANOVA their habits during leisure time. Finally, an important to compare IM and EM scores based on the elements result (item FB2) is the satisfaction of the participants users valued most. Finally, to answer to RQ3 a rank- (70% express a desire to participate in future editions) transformed ANOVA was used to explore whether and the creation of a local community of motivated and demographic characteristics, such as age and gender, active users for more sustainable mobility. influenced users’ total scores. 5. Results 5.1. Participation results During the UMC campaign, exploiting the Play&Go app, nearly 31,000 journeys have been recorded that covered over 148,000 sustainable kilometers, with over 95,000 by bike and almost 15,000 walking (resulting in zero impact) (see Figure 4). The experiment demonstrated the ability to sustain citizens’ motivation in long-term campaigns, with continuous and consistent participation over the Figure 5: Use of different transportation means in initiative’s duration of more than 5 months. Exploiting HSC. 188 5.2. Questionnaire results appreciation for the project (N = 117, M = 0.797, SD = 0.147). As is often the case with questionnaire data The test statistics for this model were RMSEA = 0.039, with Likert-type scales [44], no data were normally 𝜒²/df = 1.176, CFI = 0.986, and SRMR = 0.050. These distributed within the measured variables. First of all, results indicated that the model fit was good (Figure we were interested in understanding the increase in 6). The data also indicated significant relationships participants’ sustainability choices in terms of between several latent factors, however, two transportation, and how their old habits are related to hypothesized relationships (IM-BC, and EM-TA) were their final overall score, along with the five constructs not significant, so they were not reported in the model (RQ1). To achieve this, we included in the analysis structure. See Table 1 for a comprehensive overview. those participants who completed both the pre- and The results show that users’ behavior change can be post-campaign evaluations (N = 74, due to missing explained by extrinsic motivation, thus conveyed answers in the pre-campaign evaluation. All 74 primarily by the rewards, while tool and game participants are from the UCM campaign). Given the elements’ attractiveness seem to be explained by non-normal distribution of the data, non-parametric intrinsic motivation. Interestingly, the future behavior tests were employed for the analysis (refer to the is explained by both users’ expressed behavior change supplementary material for normality analyses6). We values and tool attractiveness. As hypothesized, tool utilized a Wilcoxon test for paired samples to compare appreciation and behavioral change reports go hand in sustainability scores based on participants’ habits in hand. Lastly, the final score for the campaign’s overall terms of sustainable mobility before and after using appreciation, related to the item "Participating in the application. The results revealed a significant [campaign] was enjoyable overall", is explained by the difference in participants’ sustainable habits before interaction with tool attractiveness and future and after using the application (W = 371.5, p-value < behavior. Based on these data, we were able to proceed 0.001). Additionally, a series of Spearman correlations with the inferential analysis without having to change were conducted between EM, IM, and (i) pre- the theoretical structure of the questionnaire and sustainability scores, (ii) post-sustainability scores, without removing/changing items. and (iii) ∆ scores, representing the difference between pre and post-sustainability scores. This aimed to assess the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and participants’ eco-friendly habits. A significant negative correlation was identified between pre-scores and the extrinsic motivation (EM) construct (Figure 7; S = 83142, p-value = 0.047, 𝜌 = - 0.231). Figure 6: Final model with significant standardized. Figure 7: Correlation between participants’ sustainability habits score before the campaign and their Path STDYX Estimators S.E. score in the extrinsic motivation construct at the end of IM ⇒ TA 0.876* 0.044 the campaign. IM ⇒ BC 0.030 0.126 EM ⇒ TA 0.030 0.130 Importantly, no correlation was found between pre- EM ⇒ BC 0.832* 0.054 scores and the overall score, suggesting that the BC ⇔ TA 0.940* 0.221 campaign’s appreciation is independent of BC ⇒ FB 0.386* 0.109 participants’ previous habits in sustainable transportation. Finally, no correlations were observed TA ⇒ FB 0.902* 0.074 between the other constructs and (i) pre-scores, (ii) TA ⇒ OA 0.691* 0.157 post-scores, and (iii) ∆ scores. Then we confronted FB ⇔ OA 0.491* 0.099 participants’ scores in the extrinsic motivation (EM) Table 1: Standardized estimators between factors. and intrinsic motivation (IM) constructs (N = 117). *𝑝 < 0.001 Also, in this case, we had to opt for a non-parametric test since data did not distribute normally. A Wilcoxon We used R v4.3.15 to run the analyses. Participants’ test highlighted a significant difference between the overall score in the questionnaire indicates a good 5 https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/ 6 Supplementary material 189 two constructs, with IM being higher than EM (Figure 8; W = 539, p-value < 0.001). To answer RQ2, we analyzed participants’ responses to the question "What did you like the most about the campaign?" Forty-nine (49) participants did not reply to the open question (or replied "all" or "nothing"). Notably, a significant number of participants emphasized the reward aspects (Reward group, N = 27), while others expressed a preference for the initiative’s underlying idea, such as promoting sustainable mobility (Initiative group, N = 27). The remaining 14 participants’ replies focused on other elements, such as the competition, and traveling close Figure 9: Participants’ overall scores, divided per age to nature. We sought to explore whether users’ and gender. preferences had any impact on their scores in the overall score and the intrinsic motivation (IM) and extrinsic motivation (EM) constructs. First, a Mann- 6. Discussion Whitney U test was employed to assess potential differences in the overall score between the two The mobility campaigns involved a total of 362 groups (initiative, reward). The results indicated no participants, producing a collective 33,987 sustainable significant difference in the overall score between the trips, for a total of 157,928 sustainable Kms, and two groups (W = 293, p-value = 0.219). reducing CO2 emissions for a total of 34,8t. Analyzing the questionnaires administered at the beginning and end of the AIR-BREAK campaign, we found an increase in terms of eco-sustainability by participants. In fact, users reported significantly higher sustainability scores at the end of the campaign. Furthermore, we found that in the total number of users who completed the post campaign questionnaire, the construct of intrinsic motivation significantly outperforms that of extrinsic motivation. This indicates that (RQ1) the AIR- BREAK campaign is effective in promoting eco- sustainable behaviors and particularly incentivizing people to use more sustainable means in their daily travel. Overall, the results obtained seem to indicate a Figure 8: Participants’ scores in the IM and EM. balance of the two to produce both a behavioral change and an appreciation of the application, resulting in a Subsequently, a rank-transformed ANOVA was consequent long-term behavioral change expressed by conducted (one factor between preference, 2 levels: the users and an overall appreciation of the campaign. initiative, reward; one factor within subscale, 2 levels: As noted in the literature [20, 21], not necessarily the IM, EM). The results revealed a significant main effect implementation of game design elements produces an for the subscale factor (F1,104 = 9.792, p-value = 0.002), effective gameful system. In analyzing participants’ while no significant main effect was observed for the preferences toward the campaign elements, we preference factor (F1,104 = 0.234, p-value = 0.630). identified two prevalent groups: those who showed Tukey post-hoc test7 confirmed the difference particular interest in the rewards (virtual and between EM and IM (IM M = 4.296, SD = 0.729; EM M = otherwise) related to the campaign, and those who 3.454, SD = 1.381; t = -3.129, p-value = 0.0023). liked the idea related to the initiative the most (RQ2). Additionally, no significant interaction effect was Despite the division into the two groups, the data present (F1,104 = 0.014, p-value = 0.907). Finally, to showed no differences in the total score, as well as answer RQ3, we conducted a 2x4 rank-transformed indicating that in both cases IM is higher than EM. This ANOVA to examine potential differences in overall suggests that the design of the gameful system does scores based on participants’ age and gender (2 not make participants overly attached to rewards. Due between factors: age, 4 levels: "<20", "20-35", "36-50", to the lack of a main effect of the group, as well as the "51-70"; gender, 2 levels: female, male). The results absence of an interaction effect between the two revealed no significant main effect for both age and factors analyzed, we can not identify specific elements gender (age: F3,109 = 2.149, p-value = 0.0982; gender: in the campaign that motivated users more than others F1,109 = 1.2246, p-value = 0.271), and no significant in adopting sustainable mobility behaviors. In interaction effect between the two (F3,109 = 1.790, p- addition, we found no differences in campaign value = 0.153) (Figure 9). appreciation (total score) by age and gender of participants, indicating how the initiative is appreciated by different demographic groups (RQ3). As noted in the literature, it is possible that age and gender moderate the appreciation for different aspects of the gameful design [ 35, 34]. The absence of 7 Emmeans library 190 differences in appreciation of the initiative’s design also established the groundwork for enduring and gamified system is an excellent finding, given that behavioral transformations. The emergence of local the campaign aims to raise awareness of sustainability communities championing sustainable mobility and with a broad demographic. We did find, however, how the highly positive feedback from participants suggest EM correlates negatively with sustainability score at the project’s potential for a more extensive societal the beginning of the campaign. This suggests that the influence. As urban centers persist in addressing the presence of game elements may indeed capture the complexities of mobility, the AIR-BREAK project offers attention of those who were not particularly inclined valuable lessons on the efficacy of gamified to use environmentally sustainable means of interventions in fostering environmentally conscious transportation. It also suggests that they do not lead to behaviors, opening avenues for future innovations in phenomena such as the over justification effect [45, sustainable urban mobility initiatives. 46] in those users who were already showing high levels of sustainability instead. 7.1. Lesson learned 6.1. Limitations The insights gained from the AIR-BREAK campaign provide a foundation for future initiatives aiming to It is necessary to point out that the reported results promote sustainable behaviors. Moving forward, the have limitations. First of all, data in the literature positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and report that for factor analyses, a size larger than 200 sustainability scores suggests a focus on designing participants is recommended [47]. Furthermore, the gamified systems that tap into users’ inherent sample size was found to be non-homogeneous motivations. Furthermore, understanding the diverse between different analyses. Unfortunately, not all preferences of participants — some favoring rewards users responded to either the pre- or post-campaign while others valuing the initiative itself — indicates questionnaire, leading to varying sample sizes based the potential for tailored campaign elements to engage on the analysis conducted. Regarding pre-post analysis a broader audience. To leverage these findings, future in campaigns, it should be noted that few users campaigns could implement adaptive gamification responded to the pre-campaign questionnaire, strategies, tailoring elements to individual preferences reducing the reliability of this data. Although there is to maximize engagement. Additionally, considering data on CO2 savings produced, behavioral change and the lack of significant differences in campaign future behavior are inferred from items and not from appreciation based on age and gender, future behavioral analysis, hence it is not possible to clearly initiatives might adopt inclusive design principles, and linearly determine whether users were moving ensuring accessibility and appeal across diverse sustainably even before the campaign. demographic groups. Addressing limitations, future campaigns could strive for larger and more homogeneous sample sizes, employing robust 7. Conclusions and future methodologies for pre-post analyses. The integration works of behavioral analysis alongside self-reported data could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the sustained impact of gamified interventions on In this paper, we introduced AIR-BREAK, a project participants’ mobility choices. designed to promote sustainable behaviors within the general population, with a particular focus on encouraging eco-sustainable mobility practices. AIR- Acknowledgements BREAK has exhibited considerable success in facilitating a positive shift towards more sustainable This work is supported by the AIR-BREAK project daily travel methods. The mobility campaigns funded through the ERDF Urban Innovation Actions developed and implemented in this project garnered 2020 UIA 05-177. 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