Gameful Experience Promotes Knowledge Sharing in Social Q&A Communities: A Longitudinal Study

Social question-and-answer (Q & A) communities are increasingly popular in the digital era but still face user attrition and insufficient knowledge contribution. Gamification, which has demonstrated positive effects in fields such as health and tourism, may offer a solution by spurring user engagement and behavioral change. Guided by the uses and gratifications theory, this study explored how gameful experience drives knowledge sharing. Study 1 examined the internal structure and measurement of gameful experience. Specifically, Study 1a identified key dimensions, Study 1b developed a scale, Study 1c validated its structure, and Study 1d optimized its length and tested measurement invariance. Study 2, a 4-month longitudinal study, demonstrated that gameful experience influences knowledge sharing through the mediating role of perceived value. This study contributes to the development of a reliable tool for evaluating gameful experience in online communities and explains the mediating mechanism through which it impacts knowledge sharing.