A Fuzzy DEMATEL-Based User-Centric Design Evaluation of Gamified Recommender Systems

Gamified recommender systems, which mix game design with recommendation frameworks, are a new way to increase user involvement and satisfaction. Even though they have a lot of potential, there has not been any systematic research on how their design affects how people use them. This study introduces a fuzzy DEMATEL-based framework for the assessment and enhancement of gamified recommender systems. Four theoretically grounded gamified recommender system prototypes were developed as a novel contribution, as no readily available systems exist for these designs. The assessment utilized nine user-centric criteria—Effectiveness, Transparency, Persuasiveness, Satisfaction, Trust, Usefulness, Ease of Use, Efficiency, and Education—systematically derived from a PRISMA-guided literature review. This study integrates gamification theory, systematic review, and fuzzy decision-making to formulate a comprehensive framework for identifying the key factors influencing adoption. The fuzzy DEMATEL was applied to evaluate feedback from 25 end-users, and it was found that usefulness and ease of use were the most essential factors for satisfaction and system effectiveness. Analysis of design showed that competition in Points, Badges, and Leaderboards (PBL) design boosts short-term motivation, Acknowledgments, Objectives, and Progression (AOP) boosts progress and openness, Acknowledgments, Competition, and Time Pressure (ACT) boosts efficiency in competitive situations but might lower satisfaction, and Acknowledgments, Objectives, and Social Pressure (AOS) depends on social influence and accountability.