Understanding Users’ Behavior Intention of Serious Games for Intangible Cultural Heritage Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response Model

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) represents a major component of the global cultural heritage. It is confronted with challenges in its preservation and transmission. Unlike tangible cultural heritage, which has seen extensive research through serious games, ICH has not received similar attention. Despite the prevalent application of serious games in previous research on cultural heritage conservation, the focus has primarily been on ICH. However, their importance has been largely ignored in the scholarly investigation of ICH preservation. We propose a theoretical model that combines the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), with a survey of 551 gamers utilized for data collection. Our results indicate that the three stimuli of serious games (enjoyment, cultural identity, and aesthetic quality) significantly impact user perceptions. Furthermore, these perceptions (i.e., perceived usefulness, ease of use, entertainment, and empathy) all positively influence user behavioral intentions. This research increases the understanding of user engagement with serious games for ICH and offers valuable insights for designers and stakeholders in the development of these educational tools.