Adaptive Gamification Strategies for Community Resilience in Transitional Societies

Abstract

This study investigates how adaptive gamification strategies can strengthen community resilience and democratic engagement in post-conflict Sri Lanka, where prolonged ethnic division has eroded civic trust and political participation. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and participatory action research, the study employed a mixed-method sequential exploratory design. Four structured online gamified sessions were conducted with 48 young adults (aged 18–30) drawn from Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Provinces, using interactive digital platforms incorporating points, achievement badges, collaborative challenges, and polling mechanisms. Thematic analysis of session data and engagement metrics identified key barriers to civic participation, including institutional distrust, language accessibility challenges, and limited professional digital literacy. Findings reveal that gamification significantly enhanced cross-community dialogue and participant motivation, with 92% actively engaging in collaborative tasks and 87% earning achievement badges. Unexpectedly, 50% of participants created professional digital profiles for the first time during the sessions, indicating broader developmental benefits. The study concludes that culturally adaptive, multilingual gamification platforms offer a scalable intervention for bridging the gap between marginalized communities and governmental institutions in transitional societies.