Adaptation of the Gamification User Types Hexad Scale into Turkish

Abstract

The aim of this study is to adapt the Gamification User Types Hexad Scale (GUTHS) created based on Marczewski's (2015) user type hexad framework and validated by Tondello et al. (2016) into the Turkish context. The original scale consists of six dimensions, each of which has four items. The dimensions - and the user types that they refer to - are Free spirit, Socializer, Achiever, Philanthropist, Player,and Disruptor.It is the motive of this study that identifying and studying these user types may prove useful for understanding the effects of gamification dynamics and mechanics and assist in designing specific gamification techniques corresponding to each user type. The adaptation of the instrument began with translation, continued with an examination of the linguistic equivalence, and finalized with analyses of validity and reliability. The scale items were initially translated by the researchers. The translation was examined by seven experts with good English proficiency to finalize the Turkish version. To verify the linguistic equivalence, both the Turkish and English versions were then administered to 30 English Language Education (ELE) students. The correlation findings showed a high degree of correlation between the Turkish and English versions. Next, the Turkish version was administered to 452 university students studying at the Faculty of Education, Sakarya University, to check its validity and reliability. The results obtained from a confirmatory factor analysis and the reliability analysis indicate that the Turkish version of the scale is valid and reliable. It is recommended to use the translated scale in research especially on determining the effects of factors related to user types and on designing more affective gamification strategies.