Management Analysis Journal
Vol. 14 No. 4 (2025): Management Analysis Journal

When Engagement Backfires: Gamification Susceptibility to Financial Misinformation

Dwi Cahyaningdyah (Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia)
Andhi Wijayanto (Departement of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia)
Kris Brantas Abiprayu (Departement of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia)
Syam Widia (Departement of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia)
Erisa Aprilia Wicaksari (Departement of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Dec 2025

Abstract

This paper examines five theoretically motivated predictors of susceptibility: gamified financial literacy engagement, subjective financial literacy, emotion regulation, information framing preferences, and cognitive ability. These predictors are embedded within a dual process framework and tested using OLS regression with heteroscedasticity-consistent standard errors on survey data from N = 89 university-affiliated respondents in Indonesia. Two unexpected findings are reported. First, engagement with gamified financial literacy programs is positively and significantly associated with susceptibility, contrary to the hypothesized direction, interpreted as a gamification engagement-without-depth effect consistent with self-determination theory and the Dunning-Kruger literature on overconfidence. Second, information framing preferences are also positively associated, reflecting a ceiling effect and a loss-sensitivity dimension linked to financial anxiety. Financial literacy is negatively associated at a marginal level, while females are less susceptible than males. Objective financial knowledge shows near-zero predictive power, suggesting factual knowledge does not reduce susceptibility. Implications for financial education, consumer protection, and measurement are discussed.

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

maj

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

Management Analysis Journal (MAJ), provides a forum for the full range of scholarly study of the language and ...