Abstract Gamification often employs competition-based mechanics to enhance motivation; however, their effectiveness varies depending on an individual’s competitive orientation. This study proposes a method to assess competitive orientation using EEG data in a gamified learning environment. Twenty-eight participants completed a gamified mental arithmetic task under two conditions: competing against an opponent (competitive condition) and attempting to surpass their best score (self-referential condition). Event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to outcome feedback—P300, feedback-related negativity, and reward positivity (RewP)—were analyzed. Results showed that RewP amplitude in the competitive condition was significantly correlated with competitive orientation scores. P300 amplitude was associated with the scores regardless of condition. Furthermore, a support vector regression model trained on ERP and behavioral features from the competitive condition predicted competitive orientation scores ( r = 0.468). These findings suggest that ERP responses provide objective information for estimating competitive orientation, highlighting a neurophysiological approach to personalized gamification design.
Watanabe et al. (Mon,) studied this question.