Many online question-and-answer (Q&A) communities have tried to motivate knowledge contribution through the implementation of gamification mechanisms. We know little, though, about the effectiveness of specific hierarchical privilege levels (a.k.a. “leveling up”) and non-hierarchical incentives (e.g., independent reputation gains and achievement badges) in promoting knowledge contribution. Drawing on goal-setting theory, expectancy-value theory, and other related theories, this study models how hierarchical privilege levels and non-hierarchical incentives serve as motivational goals stimulating continued knowledge contribution. By analyzing a rich dataset collected from an online Q&A platform, we find that closeness to the next hierarchical privilege level does, indeed, have a curvilinear relationship with continued knowledge contribution. Interestingly, non-hierarchical incentives, including reputation gains and granted badges, help to maintain continued knowledge contribution. Notably, user reputation diminishes the effects of both privilege levels and granted badges on future knowledge contribution. This implies that these gamification mechanisms, while potentially powerful for incentivizing user engagement in knowledge contribution, might not work as effectively for participants with already established reputations in the online community. This research provides theoretical and practical implications for motivating continued user knowledge contribution in online Q&A communities.

许多在线问答 (Q&A) 社区试图通过实施游戏化机制来激发知识贡献。然而，我们对特定等级特权级别（也称为“升级”）和非等级激励（例如，独立声誉增益和成就徽章）在促进知识贡献方面的有效性知之甚少。本研究借鉴目标设定理论、期望价值理论和其他相关理论，对等级特权级别和非等级激励如何作为激励持续知识贡献的激励目标进行建模。通过分析从在线问答平台收集的丰富数据集，我们发现与下一个分层特权级别的接近度确实与持续的知识贡献存在曲线关系。有趣的是，非等级激励，包括声誉增益和授予的徽章，有助于保持持续的知识贡献。值得注意的是，用户声誉降低了特权级别和授予的徽章对未来知识贡献的影响。这意味着这些游戏化机制虽然在激励用户参与知识贡献方面具有潜在的强大作用，但对于在在线社区中已经建立声誉的参与者来说可能无法有效地发挥作用。这项研究为激励在线问答社区中持续的用户知识贡献提供了理论和实践意义。用户声誉降低了特权级别和授予的徽章对未来知识贡献的影响。这意味着这些游戏化机制虽然在激励用户参与知识贡献方面具有潜在的强大作用，但对于在在线社区中已经建立声誉的参与者来说可能无法有效地发挥作用。这项研究为激励在线问答社区中持续的用户知识贡献提供了理论和实践意义。用户声誉降低了特权级别和授予的徽章对未来知识贡献的影响。这意味着这些游戏化机制虽然在激励用户参与知识贡献方面具有潜在的强大作用，但对于在在线社区中已经建立声誉的参与者来说可能无法有效地发挥作用。这项研究为激励在线问答社区中持续的用户知识贡献提供了理论和实践意义。