We're more likely to do the hard stuff when coupled with the pleasant
Motivating people to do their ‘should’ tasks is hard, but bundling incentives that only get unlocked upon doing so means they’re more likely to do these tasks.
Milkman, Minson & Volpp (2013). Holding the Hunger Games hostage at the gym: An evaluation of temptation bundling. Management Science.
The study
226 people were asked to go to the gym and split into three groups: a control and two other groups given devices with audio books. Recommenders were told to restrict playback to when at the gym and Committers had to store their device in the locker after use.
It was found that commiting to this restriction boosted gym visits by 51% next to the control.
Milkman, Minson & Volpp (2013). Holding the Hunger Games hostage at the gym: An evaluation of temptation bundling. Management Science.
Key Takeaways
Bundle feats with treats.
What sort of behaviors do you want to encourage with your team or customers? Temptation bundling can be very effective in areas where short-term self-control is weakest, like saving, exercise or food choices. What complementary experiences can you bundle alongside the toughest tasks?
Create your own “If-Then” commitments.
Ideas include only listening to your favorite podcasts if cleaning the house, getting a coffee on the way to work only if you cycle or walk, or committing to a nice hot bath only if you’ve kept to your weekly spending budget.
Keep it fresh.
Commitments are a powerful way to maintain long-term behavior change (Royer et al., 2012). However, life does get in the way and we tend to eventually hedonically-adapt to all good things. Keep engagement high by highlighting people’s past successes and creating new bundled experiences that are uniquely attractive. For instance, a gym having all streaming services, even those you might not have access to at home.
In further detail
We're more likely to do the hard stuff when coupled with the pleasant
Motivating people to do their ‘should’ tasks is hard, but bundling incentives that only get unlocked upon doing so means they’re more likely to do these tasks.
Milkman, Minson & Volpp (2013). Holding the Hunger Games hostage at the gym: An evaluation of temptation bundling. Management Science.
The study
226 people were asked to go to the gym and split into three groups: a control and two other groups given devices with audio books. Recommenders were told to restrict playback to when at the gym and Committers had to store their device in the locker after use.
It was found that commiting to this restriction boosted gym visits by 51% next to the control.
Milkman, Minson & Volpp (2013). Holding the Hunger Games hostage at the gym: An evaluation of temptation bundling. Management Science.
Key Takeaways
Bundle feats with treats.
What sort of behaviors do you want to encourage with your team or customers? Temptation bundling can be very effective in areas where short-term self-control is weakest, like saving, exercise or food choices. What complementary experiences can you bundle alongside the toughest tasks?
Create your own “If-Then” commitments.
Ideas include only listening to your favorite podcasts if cleaning the house, getting a coffee on the way to work only if you cycle or walk, or committing to a nice hot bath only if you’ve kept to your weekly spending budget.
Keep it fresh.
Commitments are a powerful way to maintain long-term behavior change (Royer et al., 2012). However, life does get in the way and we tend to eventually hedonically-adapt to all good things. Keep engagement high by highlighting people’s past successes and creating new bundled experiences that are uniquely attractive. For instance, a gym having all streaming services, even those you might not have access to at home.
In further detail
We're more likely to do the hard stuff when coupled with the pleasant
The study
226 people were asked to go to the gym and split into three groups: a control and two other groups given devices with audio books. Recommenders were told to restrict playback to when at the gym and Committers had to store their device in the locker after use.
It was found that commiting to this restriction boosted gym visits by 51% next to the control.
In detail
Scarcity
We value things more when they’re in limited supply
Social Proof
We copy the behaviors of others, especially in unfamiliar situations
Prospect Theory
A loss hurts more than an equal gain feels good
Reciprocity
We’re hardwired to return kindness received
Framing
We make very different decisions based on how a fact is presented
Loss Aversion
We feel more negative when losing something than positive when we gain it
Self-Expression
We constantly seek out ways to communicate our identity to others
Default Effect
We tend to accept the option pre-chosen for us
Anchoring
What we see first affects our judgement of everything thereafter
Autonomy Bias
We have a deep-seated need to control our situations
Fast & Slow Thinking
We make knee-jerk spontaneous decisions that can cause regretful damage
Status Quo Bias
We tend to stick with our previous choices, even if the alternatives might be better
Dynamic Norms
We’re more likely to change if we can see a new behavior developing
Salience
Our choices are determined by the information we're shown