https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180709101144.htm

Gustavo Fortes Tondello, a PhD candidate at Waterloo who co-authored the study with Lennart Nacke, an associate professor and director of the Human-Computer Interaction Games Group at Waterloo's Games Institute, has been developing a more definitive player traits model that gives scores for different preferences. The model generates scores for three different traits, including the degree to which players prefer action elements, aesthetic aspects, or goal orientation in games. Identifying traits makes it possible to analyze player preferences for different groups of people, including different age ranges or genders.

"By better understanding what people like when playing games, we can determine how best to apply those elements to situations that are not games," Tondello said. "We can create systems that are more pleasant to use and help people feel more engaged and motivated to achieve their goals."