Tailoring Gamification for Adolescents: a Validation Study of Big Five and Hexad in Dutch

Gamification researchers deem adolescents a particularly interesting audience for tailored gamification. However, empirical validation of popular player typologies and personality trait models thus far has been limited to adults. As adolescents exhibit complex behaviours that differ from older adults, these models may need adaptation. To that end, we collected a unique data set of Big Five Inventory and Hexad questionnaire answers in Dutch from 402 adolescents. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Dutch forms of the BFI-10, BFI-44 and Hexad scales performed substandard when used with adolescents. Through exploratory factor analysis, we investigated underlying problems, and provide preliminary suggestions on how to improve measurements. In particular, we propose to simplify the Hexad model, and to reformulate specific items. With this study, we hope to contribute to the debate on how to improve the tailoring of interactive systems for adolescents.