In an experiment, participants were 68pc more likely to complete a task if their reward was uncertain — if they stood to receive either $1 or $2, based on a coin flip — than if the reward was simply $2, says a team led by Luxi Shen of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

This and other studies suggest that the excitement of a reward’s uncertainty can sometimes motivate people to invest more time and effort in a task. Marketers take heed: As long as consumers focus mainly on the fun and don’t focus too much on the amount, framing a discount as uncertain can make shopping seem like a game and generate consumer excitement, the researchers say.

(Source: Journal of Consumer Research)

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, April 20th , 2015

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