Engagement (Consumer Psychology)

A state of deep involvement and absorption in an activity. In Oh and Pham’s consumer fun theory, engagement is one of two necessary conditions for Consumer Fun, arising in tandem with liberation from norms (Liberation (Consumer Psychology)). Unlike flow, engagement here does not require a balance of challenge and skill — it refers to the depth of absorption in the activity itself.

In experience design, engagement is a designable state achievable by reducing interface friction and clarifying activity goals. In consumer fun theory specifically, engagement is distinguished from relaxation or flow by whether liberation is simultaneously present.