Human behavior theory explains motivational practices, even in war

Game mechanics have proven effective to alter human behavior. And “gamification” has become central to creating effective value propositions in customer loyalty programs.

But now, game mechanics are being applied to change behavior and motivate people in a grim way. The Ukrainian military, as part of its strategy to motivate its troops in its slogging conflict with Russia, has created a game artifact, the “Army of Drones: Bonus”, where army units can earn points for each Russian soldier killed or piece of equipment destroyed.

It is reported that 90-95% of fighting units are now participating in this dark gamified construct where participants can earn points through successful combat and spend them on new equipment on a government website.

Is this shocking, distasteful, horrifying, or practical and clever?

In the conflicted and confusing world of 2025, you may have to acknowledge that all these descriptions can co-exist to make one big, grungy stew.

Given the age range of the troops fighting for Ukraine, the idea of creating a motivational program akin to a video game makes sense. The majority within this demographic have experience with games such as Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, and many have engaged with first-person shooter titles in which themes of violence and mortality play a central role in game progression.

Why Gamification Works

Gamification works due to the way humans are wired. Loyalty Academy course #102, The Psychology of Loyalty, cites the Self Determination theory as a backbone of understanding for human behavior.

First introduced by Deci and Ryan in their 1985 book Self-Determination and Intrinsic Motivation in Human Behavior, the theory outlines three pillars of human behavior. The researchers explain that people become happier when pursuing things that are intrinsically motivated and aligned with their own goals. It not only makes them feel more responsible about the outcomes, but it also helps them to focus their time on what they want to be doing.

There are three legs to the stool of Self Determination Theory – Autonomy, Competence, and Social Relatedness – and it is the second element, Competence, which is leveraged by the Ukrainian military with this program.

Competence speaks to our competitive nature and desire to achieve mastery where possible. Gaining mastery over challenges is essential for developing a sense of self-worth.

The Army of Drones “Value Prop”

In the Army of Drones game, destroying an enemy rocket launch system earns up to 50 points, while 40 points are awarded for a destroyed tank and 20 for a damaged one. It is only slightly encouraging that capturing a Russian soldier is worth 10X more points than killing one.

Points earned can be exchanged at the “Brave 1 Market”, referred to by program designers as “the Amazon for war”. In the market, soldiers can browse more than 1,600 products, using their points to purchase items from manufacturers. One of Ukraine’s elite drone warfare units has run up a score of over 16,298 points, enough to buy 500 first-person view drones used in daytime operations, 500 drones for night operations, 100 Vampire drones and 40 reconnaissance drones. The Ministry of Defence funds the points by picking up the tab.

Loyalty program strategy should always start with identifying objectives, and it is clear the Ukrainian military has done just that. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, said, “It’s also about motivation, when we change the point values, we can see how motivation changes.”

The program is reported to be achieving objectives, but it has not been welcomed by all troops. Soldiers were quoted saying “The fundamental issue of motivation isn’t resolved by this, and points won’t stop people fleeing from the military.”

There has also been some “gaming of the game,” a phenomenon not unlike what happens in everyday loyalty programs. Participants can twist program rules to their advantage, exploiting loopholes where possible. One soldier in this article complained that units were spending too much time trying to claim each other’s hits, or would deliberately attack a Russian vehicle that had already been disabled in order to earn more points.

The moral questions associated with playing this game have been raised, with the same solider saying, “This system is just a result of our twisted mental habit of turning everything into profit, even our own damned death.”

Gamification and Behavior Change

Loyalty Marketing has its grounding in data and technology. Transactional and preference data are collected and manipulated by advancing technology, creating compelling value propositions that drive behavioral changes and lead to desired outcomes. Game mechanics can be used to create powerful and positive friction in the value proposition to accelerate outcomes, described as “Funstration” by gamification expert Steve Bocska.

In the retail marketing world, this process comes to life as customers can enhance their shopping experience with goodies earned throughout their customer journey. Behavior change is the immediate goal, with loyalty an added outcome.

In the hard reality of war, a distinct set of outcomes are in focus. And although it makes for a cringy and uncomfortable comparison, the goal remains to better understand people through data and to change behaviors – even if the behaviors include mayhem, death and destruction.