Context-Aware Gamification: Personalizing Gamified Stress Interventions Using Gamification User Types and Coping Mechanisms

Abstract The digital transformation of healthcare has introduced innovative solutions for stress management, yet maintaining user engagement remains a challenge. Gamification, which applies game mechanics to non-game contexts, has shown promise in enhancing user motivation. However, the effectiveness of gamified stress management interventions is often limited by a lack of personalization, particularly in aligning content with users’ psychological needs and coping preferences. Therefore, we conduct a large-scale study of 517 participants and develop a structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to investigate the relationships between gamification user types, coping mechanisms, and perceived stress. The results reveal significant associations between gamification user types and coping strategies. For instance, Achievers tend to favor problem-focused, social, and avoidance coping strategies, while Free Spirits prefer emotion-focused and social support coping strategies. Notably, perceived stress did not significantly moderate these relationships, suggesting that coping preferences are driven more by inherent motivational characteristics than situational stress levels. Building on these insights, we propose a novel dual-layered personalization framework that integrates coping strategies (content layer) with gamification mechanics (engagement layer), tailoring interventions to users’ HEXAD gamification profiles. Our approach advances the design of context-aware, adaptive systems that enhance engagement by aligning with users’ motivations and psychological needs.