Have you ever caught yourself ordering something you didn't plan to (for example, a 9-piece nuggets instead of a 6-piece) just to get an extra sticker?
This thing is called a variable ratio schedule. It's a term from behavioral psychology, described back in the mid-20th century. The essence is simple — when a reward is given after an unpredictable number of actions.
That's exactly how slot machines in casinos work. You pull the lever and wait for three sevens to line up. Didn't get it? Pull again.
In recent years, everyone and their mother has adopted this mechanic. For example, Yandex.Market or Ozon have also added something similar. You make purchases (or show activity in the app) and get points. With those points, you can spin a prize wheel.
And this is nothing but the exploitation of our dopamine system. The dopamine response of neurons is maximal when the probability of reward is 50%. So we buy an extra burger or purchase something we didn't really intend to. Just to get one more try.
And it's not about the prizes. Our dopamine system doesn't care what's at stake — an apartment or a 10% discount on a pair of socks. The key here is that very uncertainty.
Such are the rules of the game today. "Marketing" in all its glory.
Moreover, the mechanic itself cannot be called bad. At our swimming school, for instance, we also have a prize wheel that we let kids spin at the end of class. But we introduced this thing to reinforce positive reinforcement from the workout. You swam — get a prize.
And it works.
In short, it's like a hammer. You can use it to build a stool. Or you can smash someone's skull with it.
Remember this the next time you feel the urge to buy something you didn't plan to. It's not a spontaneous desire. It's a carefully calibrated strategy that exploits your dopamine system.
And this hammer is already flying at your face.
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