Neurophysiological prediction of competitive orientation via EEG during outcome evaluation in gamified learning

Gamification often employs competition-based mechanics to enhance motivation; however, their effectiveness varies depending on an individual's competitive orientation. This study proposes a method to assess competitive orientation using EEG data in a gamified learning environment. Twenty-eight participants completed a gamified mental arithmetic task under two conditions: competing against an opponent (competitive condition) and attempting to surpass their best score (self-referential condition). Event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to outcome feedback-P300, feedback-related negativity, and reward positivity (RewP)-were analyzed. Results showed that RewP amplitude in the competitive condition was significantly correlated with competitive orientation scores. P300 amplitude was associated with the scores regardless of condition. Furthermore, a support vector regression model trained on ERP and behavioral features from the competitive condition predicted competitive orientation scores (r = 0.468). These findings suggest that ERP responses provide objective information for estimating competitive orientation, highlighting a neurophysiological approach to personalized gamification design.