To anyone involved in game design, feedback loops will be a well known concept. To those in gamification, they are often talked about, but not everyone will know what they actually are and how they can be used.
Feedback loops come in two main flavors; positive feedback loops and negative feedback loops. Which ever you are looking at they are constructed in a similar way, with two or more phases.
- User performs an action
- Something happens
- User experience is modified
- Repeat
Basic Feedback Loop, will have 2 or more steps
A positive feedback loop amplifies something, whereas a negative feedback loop will reduce something.