{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4417478443","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8","title":"When work becomes a game: the moral costs of gamified labor","display_name":"When work becomes a game: the moral costs of gamified labor","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-12-19","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4417478443","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8","pdf_url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S13096939","display_name":"Ethics and Information Technology","issn_l":"1388-1957","issn":["1388-1957","1572-8439"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319900","host_organization_name":"Springer Science+Business Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319900","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Springer Science+Business Media","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Ethics and Information Technology","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"hybrid","oa_url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8.pdf","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100670577","display_name":"Tae Wan Kim","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7887-1055"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I74973139","display_name":"Carnegie Mellon University","ror":"https://ror.org/05x2bcf33","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I74973139"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Tae Wan Kim","raw_affiliation_strings":["Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, United States"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, United States","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I74973139"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5100670577"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I74973139"],"apc_list":{"value":2290,"currency":"EUR","value_usd":2890},"apc_paid":{"value":2290,"currency":"EUR","value_usd":2890},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.4954074,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"28","issue":"1","first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12501","display_name":"Digital Economy and Work Transformation","score":0.32989999651908875,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12501","display_name":"Digital Economy and Work Transformation","score":0.32989999651908875,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10731","display_name":"Educational Games and Gamification","score":0.08699999749660492,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3204","display_name":"Developmental and Educational Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.04390000179409981,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/normative","display_name":"Normative","score":0.6601999998092651},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/situated","display_name":"Situated","score":0.6516000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/moral-agency","display_name":"Moral agency","score":0.6480000019073486},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/agency","display_name":"Agency (philosophy)","score":0.6014000177383423},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/moral-disengagement","display_name":"Moral disengagement","score":0.5598999857902527},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-cognitive-theory-of-morality","display_name":"Social cognitive theory of morality","score":0.49410000443458557},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/outcome","display_name":"Outcome (game theory)","score":0.4603999853134155},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/work","display_name":"Work (physics)","score":0.45910000801086426}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C44725695","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q288156","display_name":"Normative","level":2,"score":0.6601999998092651},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C132829578","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q581151","display_name":"Situated","level":2,"score":0.6516000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781439373","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11883221","display_name":"Moral agency","level":2,"score":0.6480000019073486},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108170787","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3951828","display_name":"Agency (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.6014000177383423},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C57996006","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6909105","display_name":"Moral disengagement","level":2,"score":0.5598999857902527},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.5213000178337097},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26918590","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7550991","display_name":"Social cognitive theory of morality","level":3,"score":0.49410000443458557},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148220186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7111912","display_name":"Outcome (game theory)","level":2,"score":0.4603999853134155},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18762648","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42213","display_name":"Work (physics)","level":2,"score":0.45910000801086426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.44350001215934753},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C190253527","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q295354","display_name":"Law and economics","level":1,"score":0.37959998846054077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.37299999594688416},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.36959999799728394},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C19314808","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4355306","display_name":"Moral psychology","level":2,"score":0.35679998993873596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C198626708","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1321845","display_name":"Normative ethics","level":2,"score":0.33799999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776007630","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2798912","display_name":"Accountability","level":2,"score":0.3174000084400177},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95124753","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q875686","display_name":"Environmental ethics","level":1,"score":0.31290000677108765},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9158031","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6909140","display_name":"Moral reasoning","level":2,"score":0.3127000033855438},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55587333","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1133029","display_name":"Engineering ethics","level":1,"score":0.29319998621940613},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C76247681","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6909101","display_name":"Moral development","level":2,"score":0.2919999957084656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.28870001435279846},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C118084267","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26110","display_name":"Positive economics","level":1,"score":0.2761000096797943},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C194928635","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6909090","display_name":"Moral authority","level":3,"score":0.27160000801086426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781118332","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q430460","display_name":"Capability approach","level":2,"score":0.27149999141693115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C191015642","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1132459","display_name":"Fragmentation (computing)","level":2,"score":0.26460000872612}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8","pdf_url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S13096939","display_name":"Ethics and Information Technology","issn_l":"1388-1957","issn":["1388-1957","1572-8439"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319900","host_organization_name":"Springer Science+Business Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319900","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Springer Science+Business Media","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Ethics and Information Technology","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8","pdf_url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10676-025-09885-8.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S13096939","display_name":"Ethics and Information Technology","issn_l":"1388-1957","issn":["1388-1957","1572-8439"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319900","host_organization_name":"Springer Science+Business Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319900","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Springer Science+Business Media","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Ethics and Information Technology","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320310207","display_name":"Carnegie Mellon University","ror":"https://ror.org/05x2bcf33"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W4417478443.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W4417478443.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":32,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W48285259","https://openalex.org/W95109620","https://openalex.org/W1508410088","https://openalex.org/W1998933811","https://openalex.org/W2023718959","https://openalex.org/W2068669673","https://openalex.org/W2110208575","https://openalex.org/W2124203762","https://openalex.org/W2124669934","https://openalex.org/W2141716577","https://openalex.org/W2170675234","https://openalex.org/W2501081710","https://openalex.org/W2509753455","https://openalex.org/W2539928177","https://openalex.org/W2726006536","https://openalex.org/W2798070356","https://openalex.org/W2903986723","https://openalex.org/W2994838516","https://openalex.org/W3022009422","https://openalex.org/W3191036075","https://openalex.org/W4206100706","https://openalex.org/W4230087495","https://openalex.org/W4230345791","https://openalex.org/W4240610838","https://openalex.org/W4247225418","https://openalex.org/W4250088333","https://openalex.org/W4253173576","https://openalex.org/W4253935475","https://openalex.org/W4255293521","https://openalex.org/W4282823163","https://openalex.org/W4313252366","https://openalex.org/W4382020578"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Gamification":[0],"promises":[1],"to":[2,55,137],"make":[3],"work":[4,67],"more":[5],"engaging":[6],"by":[7,103,134,144],"translating":[8],"ordinary":[9],"tasks":[10],"into":[11],"systems":[12],"of":[13,25,66,78,101,111,121,150],"points,":[14],"badges,":[15],"and":[16,33,38,140],"leaderboards.":[17],"This":[18,73],"paper":[19,124],"offers":[20],"a":[21,75,106],"conditional":[22],"normative":[23],"analysis":[24],"its":[26,135,145],"moral":[27,64,79,90,112,151],"significance.":[28],"Gamified":[29],"designs":[30,46],"reorient":[31],"attention":[32],"motivation":[34],"through":[35],"continuous":[36],"feedback":[37],"quantified":[39],"rewards.":[40],"I":[41,95],"argue":[42],"that":[43,97,126],"if":[44],"such":[45],"durably":[47],"redirect":[48],"agents":[49],"from":[50],"acting":[51,56],"on":[52,57,147],"justifying":[53],"reasons":[54],"instrumental":[58],"incentives,":[59,122],"then":[60],"they":[61],"diminish":[62],"the":[63,93,98,109,119,123,148],"worth":[65],"even":[68],"when":[69],"performance":[70],"outcomes":[71],"improve.":[72],"constitutes":[74],"distinct":[76],"form":[77],"loss:":[80],"actions":[81],"remain":[82],"right":[83],"in":[84,89],"outcome":[85],"but":[86,142],"become":[87],"defective":[88],"quality.":[91],"Extending":[92],"analysis,":[94],"suggest":[96],"systematic":[99],"replacement":[100],"justification":[102],"metrics":[104],"threatens":[105],"second-order":[107],"harm:":[108],"fragmentation":[110],"understanding":[113],"within":[114,118],"organized":[115],"labor.":[116],"Situated":[117],"ethics":[120],"concludes":[125],"gamification\u2019s":[127],"promise":[128],"should":[129],"be":[130],"assessed":[131],"not":[132],"only":[133],"capacity":[136],"enhance":[138],"engagement":[139],"efficiency,":[141],"also":[143],"effects":[146],"conditions":[149],"agency":[152],"itself.":[153]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-04-09T08:11:56.329763","created_date":"2025-12-19T00:00:00"}
