Gamification in Social Commerce: a Systematic Literature Review
Year: 2025
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: As social media and e-commerce increasingly converge, social commerce platforms have integrated gamification mechanisms to enhance user engagement, stimulate social interaction, and encourage behaviors such as information sharing and purchasing. While gamification has been extensively studied in domains such as education, health, and marketing, its application in social commerce remains fragmented and theoretically underdeveloped. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic literature review of 15 peer-reviewed articles retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science as of May 2025. Guided by three research questions, the review examines which theoretical frameworks have been applied to gamification in social commerce, what methodological approaches dominate, and which gamification features are most frequently studied along with their behavioral outcomes. The findings reveal that quantitative surveys are the predominant methodology, with limited use of qualitative, experimental, or longitudinal designs, thus constraining the field’s ability to capture evolving user experiences. Theoretical engagement is moderate, with Self-Determination Theory and Hedonic Motivation Theory most frequently employed, though often in isolation rather than within integrative models that connect psychological, social, and technological perspectives. In terms of design, research has focused heavily on achievement-based elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards, while immersive and social interaction features remain underexplored despite their potential to foster deeper and more sustainable engagement. This review contributes to theory by highlighting the need for multi-layered frameworks that integrate individual motivation with social influence and platform-level factors, to methodology by underscoring the importance of diversified research designs, and to practice by offering guidance for platform designers to move beyond extrinsic rewards toward layered gamification strategies that support intrinsic motivation, community building, and long-term user loyalty.
Authors: Ya Li, Noorminshah A Iahad
Institution: University of Technology Malaysia
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416123371
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