Understanding the determinants of human computation game acceptance

Abstract

Purpose – Human computation games (HCGs) that blend gaming with utilitarian purposes are a potentially effective channel for content creation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the driving factors behind players’ adoption of HCGs through a music video tagging game. The effects of perceived aesthetic experience (PAE) and perceived output quality (POQ) on HCG acceptance are empirically examined. Design/methodology/approach – An integrative structural model is developed to explain how hedonic and utilitarian factors, including PAE and POQ, working with another salient factor – perceived usefulness (PU) – affect the acceptance of HCGs. The structural equation modeling method is used to verify the proposed model with data from 124 participants. Findings – Results show that PAE is the strongest predictor of HCGs adoption. PU has a significant impact on individuals’ attitude toward HCGs. POQ is a salient predictor of PU and PAE, and its indirect effect on attitude is significance. Originality/value – From an academic point of view, this study provides a good understanding of the driving factors behind player acceptance of HCGs and adds new knowledge to games with utilitarian purposes. It is also one of the first to describe the components of game enjoyment with a taxonomy of aesthetic experiences. From the practical perspective, the investigation of the specific factors behind adoption of HCGs provides specific guidelines for their design and evaluation.