39. Here is your reward. But it's intermittent.
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We are as addicted to our phones as gamblers are to a casino’s slot machines.
Both use a behavioral science method called ‘Intermittent rewards.’
Intermittent rewards are good things that happen unpredictably. Our brain likes it much more than an assured reward.
With every spin of a slot machine, you feel you might win. That's why you always want one more try—that could be the spin where you win big. Scrolling to refresh the apps on our phone mirrors the action of pulling down the arm on a slot machine and triggers the excitement—you might have a new email or message.
My newsletter this week was inspired by Rory Sutherland’s video, in which he describes how he used this strategy to make a restaurant go viral.
Instead of giving customers a predictable discount, they made them roll a die, and if it turned 6, their meal was free.
A 1/6 chance of getting your meal 100% free is the same as getting a 16.6% discount on every meal. But come on, a 17% discount doesnt sound fun!
But tossing a die to win a free meal is much more exciting! Isn’t it?
This strategy encouraged customers to visit the restaurant often for a chance to win. When people shared their wins on social media, it created virality.
Intermittent Rewards work because humans love unpredictability and anticipation of a reward. But this is what leads to addiction. Remember this the next time you have the urge to swipe down.