Catch them all and increase your place attachment! The role of location-based augmented reality games in changing people - place relations

Catch Them All and Increase Place Attachment

Authors: Tomasz Oleksy, Anna Wnuk
Institute: Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland
Received: February 1, 2017 | Revised: June 5, 2017 | Accepted: June 6, 2017 | Online: June 7, 2017
Keywords: Place attachment, Gamification, Location-based AR games, Augmented reality, Pokemon Go

Objective: Examines how playing augmented reality (AR) games increases attachment to the place of play.
Place Attachment: The emotional bond between people and places, linked to individual well-being.
Key Findings: Positive emotions from playing predict place attachment through gamification mechanisms.
Methodology: Correlational study with Pokémon Go players revealed that satisfaction from playing and social relations predict place attachment.
Mediation Analysis: The link between game satisfaction, social relations, and place attachment is mediated by the appraisal of the place as exciting.

Place Attachment: Emotional significance and connection to places shaped by individual experiences and cultural contexts.
Benefits: Contributes to well-being, promotes feelings of belonging, and encourages environmentally responsible behaviors.

To understand how location-based AR games, like Pokémon Go, can foster place attachment through interaction with real environments.

Growth in mobile technology allows widespread use of location-based AR games.
Mixed reality continuum: Augmented reality (AR) enhances the real world with virtual elements, while augmented virtuality enhances virtual spaces with real environment details.

Adds game-like dynamics to non-game contexts, enhancing engaging experiences.
Effective in influencing attitudes and behaviors in education and tourism, helping in cultural exploration.

Place Dependence and Place Identity: Elements of community and individual values shaping attachments.
Importance: Repeated interactions boost emotional connections.

Strong social ties within a place enhance attachment, outweighing physical features of the location.

Pokémon Go: Allows exploration of real environments to catch virtual Pokémon using smartphones. Includes social elements encouraging interaction among players.
Unique elements transform various locations into play spaces, promoting enjoyment and excitement that may foster place attachment.

Exploration opportunities and interactions are critical for developing place attachment during gameplay.

Engagement in the game, satisfaction during play, and social relations correlate with active place attachment.
The relation of game satisfaction and social relations to place attachment is mediated by excitement appraisal of the place.

Total of 279 participants (167 men, 112 women) from various cities in Poland.
Recruitment via Pokémon Go fan groups on Facebook, ensuring active gamers are included.

Active Place Attachment: Measured using a subscale identifying connections and emotional responses toward favorite gaming locations.
Engagement: Assessed by distance covered and time spent playing.
Game Satisfaction: Evaluated through ratings of success, satisfaction, and intent to continue.
Affective Appraisal: Utilized Russell's emotional model for assessment.
Social Relations: Measured by frequency of social activity while playing.

Game satisfaction and social interactions positively affect active place attachment, while engagement measures showed no direct correlation.
Mediation analyses confirmed the role of perceived excitement in the relationship between game satisfaction, interaction, and place attachment.

Demonstrates that gamification effects can improve place attachment through positive experiences during gameplay.
First study to highlight implications of place attachment enhancement via AR games unrelated to specific locations.

Correlational design limits causal inferences. Future research should explore the effects of continuous engagement and compare different gameplay modes.

Emotional transfer effects from positive gaming experiences suggest potential for utilizing AR games in various areas such as education, tourism, and community engagement, highlighting how any place can transform into a significant emotional location due to gameplay.