Uncertainty Powers Engagement

• Variable and unpredictable rewards trigger stronger engagement than fixed schedules.


• Anticipation often activates reward centers more than receipt of the reward.

Show Progress To Boost Completion

• Display progress visibly and consider pre-stamping or showing 'more than halfway' cues.


• Small design cues that signal advancement increase follow-through.

Perceived Progress Fuels Persistence

• Motivation accelerates as people near a goal (goal-gradient).


• Artificial progress boosts persistence via the endowed-progress effect.

Goal-Gradient Effect

• Clark Hall's 1930s experiment showed that rats run faster as they get closer to a reward in a maze.


• The goal-gradient hypothesis explains this behavior, also seen in humans.


• Humans show increased motivation as they get closer to a reward.


• In a coffee rewards program, people bought coffee more frequently as they approached a free

Give Half Now To Ensure Completion

• Give a partial tangible reward now to increase likelihood of completing a future task.


• Use 'half now, half later' tokens to motivate follow-through like vaccination completion.

A Passport Stamp That Binds

• Palau introduced a signed passport pledge asking visitors to protect the islands, increasing commitment.


• The handwritten signature tied the promise to travelers' identities and boosted compliance.

Oasis Refund

• After technical glitches at a Manchester concert, Oasis offered refunds to fans.


• They sent checks hand-signed by Liam and Noel Gallagher.


• The band anticipated that fans wouldn't cash them, adding symbolic value through their signatures.


• Eileen Chow explains that signatures act as symbolic extensions of ourselves, increasing loyalty and

The But You Are Free Effect

• When asking for something, add 'but you are free to accept or refuse' to increase compliance.


• Reinforcing personal freedom and empowering your audience can trigger people into action.


• During the pandemic, governments used 'please sit here' instead of 'don't sit here' to encourage social distancing.


• Brands like Burger King

Reactance

• Reactance is triggered when people feel their independence is restricted.


• Reactance can be used to your advantage, for example, when a parent tells their child not to eat their vegetables.


• This reverse psychology can also be used in marketing, communication, and product design to trigger a desired response.


• Withholding information boosts