Development of the Reflective User: The Additive Effects of Reflective Practices and Gameful Learning on Flow and Cybersecurity Awareness

Over the past decade, gameful systems have been widely used in training and behavior modification. However, the mechanisms by which these systems influence desired outcomes remain unclear. Consequently, the literature on their impact is riddled with contradictory findings, suggesting that researchers have overlooked crucial variables, especially those related to the science of learning. Consistent with recommendations from educational psychology, we focus on the core cognitive processes involved in cybersecurity protective tasks. Reflective thinking is at the heart of these tasks. Given that gameful systems aim to simulate real-world tasks, we study the effects of coupling cybersecurity training games with reflective practices. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of the reflective practitioner and the theory of flow, we hypothesize that incorporating guided reflection during interaction with a gameful system will result in superior experiential and learning outcomes compared to reflecting after the interaction or playing without reflection.