Date of Award

Summer 2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management

First Advisor

Stephen Shapiro

Abstract

Recent technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences have prompted a substantial shift from live sport attendance to mediated sport consumption, particularly among younger audiences. In response, enhancing the quality of mediated sport experiences has become a strategic priority for sport marketers seeking to maintain consumer engagement and market relevance. Although second-screen usage has been introduced to support this transition, its effectiveness remains uncertain due to limited interactivity, lack of personalization, and the potential for user distraction.

To address these limitations, AI chatbots have emerged as a compelling alternative, offering adaptive, user-centered interactions that promote deeper engagement and enrich the mediated sport consumption experience. Among the various strategies to optimize chatbot effectiveness, gamification is increasingly recognized as a promising approach to sustain long-term user engagement in sport contexts. Nevertheless, despite its potential, no prior research has systematically examined how the integration of gamification and AI chatbots influences sport consumers’ behavioral responses or the underlying psychological and cognitive mechanisms.

To address this gap, the present study adopts the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) model as its overarching theoretical framework. The S-O-R model explains how external stimuli influences individuals’ internal states, which in turn shape their behavioral responses. In this study, diverse gamification features are categorized into three higher-order constructs, and interaction with these features in an AI chatbot is conceptualized as the external stimulus (S), while behavioral engagement represents the behavioral response (R). To capture the organism (O) component—reflecting users’ internal states—the study incorporates Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), a well-established framework for understanding how media use fulfills users’ needs. Specifically, the organismic process is examined comprehensively by considering both users’ psychological gratifications and the gratification opportunities afforded by the chatbot’s technological features.

Within this framework, the study aimed to: (1) conceptualize and validate a multidimensional gamification model comprising achievement, immersion, and socialization as higher-order constructs embedded in AI chatbots for spectator sport consumption; (2) examine how these features influence users’ internal states, including psychological gratifications and gratification opportunities; (3) assess the effects of these internal states on behavioral engagement; and (4) test their mediating roles in the relationship between gamification and engagement.

This study used a cross-sectional survey method. To improve the replicability of the results and explore possible differences between what users expect from the chatbot (gratifications sought) and what they actually experience (gratifications obtained), two separate studies were conducted, one with potential users and one with actual users. Study 1 and Study 2 analyzed 371 and 590 survey responses, respectively, using PLS-SEM. The results showed distinct impacts of each gamification feature (e.g., achievement, immersion, socialization) on behavioral engagement (e.g., intention to use, feedback, WoM), through user gratifications (e.g., utilitarian, hedonic, social) and gratification opportunities (e.g., chatbot social presence, customization, complementarity).

The findings of this study comprehensively capture sport consumers’ psychological responses to distinct gamification features and their perceptual evaluations of unique technological affordances embedded in AI chatbots. These responses, in turn, help explain how such mechanisms translate into behavioral engagement. By elucidating these underlying processes, the study offers a theoretical foundation for understanding gamified AI chatbots as a promising second-screen tool to enhance mediated sport consumption experiences. Additionally, the results offer actionable insights for sport practitioners and technology designers to develop tailored strategies for emerging consumer segments.

Rights

© 2025, Deukmook Bae

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