Sometime within the last few years, I came across the Fun Scale and the three types of fun it categorizes. The origins of the Fun Scale are unclear; the easiest source I could find was an article by Kelly Cordes (2014) but he even mentions learning about the scale from a friend. Regardless of who created it, the categories of fun described by the Fun Scale are:
- Type I Fun is enjoyable in the moment and in memory; this is what we normally think of as fun.
- Type II Fun is not fun in the moment but is fun afterwards (e.g. running a race or other act of exertion to attain or accomplish something).
- Type III Fun is not fun; it is neither fun in the moment nor after. It is unfun.
I like these categorizations of fun and would like to offer the following thought to build upon this structure. Instead of there being only three types of fun, there are four. Using the framework from the Fun Scale, fun in the moment vs. fun afterwards, the relations of fun to the present and to the future function as the axes of a coordinate system (see Figure 1.).
Figure 1. Four Types of Fun Coordinates
Using these axes, Types I, II, and III Fun all remain the same and Type IV is introduced as the final quadrant. Type IV Fun is fun in the moment but not fun afterwards. It is fleeting fun that does not last. Procrastination is a prime example of Type IV Fun. This type of fun can reflect our desire for immediate gratification even at long-term expense. Type IV Fun also includes experiences of loss, such as playing with a toy until it breaks or reckless behavior and risk-taking, and can trigger our loss aversion. It is interesting that two such common and seemingly contrasting human experiences as procrastination and loss aversion, experiences that we are tempted and repulsed by respectively, both fall within the same category of fun.
How are we shaped by the kinds of fun we have? Type I promotes enjoyment and contentedness in life, Type II encourages character growth and accomplishments which can also lead to enjoyment and contentedness in the long-term. Type III helps us discover activities and experiences to avoid. Finally, Type IV Fun may, in contrast to Type II, slow long-term development by focusing on temporary enjoyment or conversely help guide growth, like Type III, by providing experiences of loss to avoid.
Looking back on the last day or week, what kinds of fun have you had?
