Gaming the system is significantly negatively correlated with test performance in the digital learning game¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? For both the problem-solving and self-explanation steps, gaming the system was significantly, negatively correlated with test performance (e.g., Study 1 pretest–gaming(PS) r = −0.67, gaming(SE) r = −0.42). → Baker 2025

Evidence¶

Baker 2025¶

Baker, R. S., Richey, J. E., Zhang, J., Karumbaiah, S., Andres-Bray, J. M., Nguyen, H. A., Andres, J. M. A. L., & McLaren, B. M. (2025). Gaming the system mediates the relationship between gender and learning outcomes in a digital learning game. Instructional Science, 53, 203–238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-024-09679-3

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Study 1 correlation analysis (Table 2) between test scores, gender, and gaming rates. Similar strong negative correlations appeared in Study 2 (Table 5), e.g., pretest with gaming(PS) −0.74 and gaming(SE) −0.56, all p < 0.05.

"For both the problem-solving and self-explanation steps, gaming the system was significantly, negatively correlated with test performance."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• No significant gender difference in gaming the system appears in the non-game control condition or in the problem-solving step — related
• Gaming the system in the self-explanation step predicts delayed posttest scores beyond pretest, adding 3 percent of variance — related
• Automated gaming-the-system detectors built with XGBoost reliably recognize gaming in both problem-solving and self-explanation steps — related
• Male students game the system significantly more than female students in the self-explanation step of a digital learning game, across three studies — related