Motivate Behavior Using Work-to-Unlock Rewards

A new study found that work-to-unlock rewards are highly motivating. What are they? And how do they work?

Overview

Researchers analyzed the flossing behavior of 1,700 people.

They tested different rewards:

Work-to-Receive. Participants received $0.24 each day they flossed.
Work-to-Unlock. Participants were required to floss for 3 days. Then they received $0.32 each day they flossed.

In both rewards, participants could receive $2.88 across 12 days. But they flossed more frequently when they needed to unlock the rewards (Sharif & Woolley, 2022).

In a follow-up study, researchers tested the same incremental amount: Both conditions would receive $0.02 for every 30-second workout they completed. But some participants needed to complete 4 workouts to start receiving the rewards. Even though these participants were paid less in total, they exercised more often.

Why Do These Rewards Work?

Implicit Goal. Work-to-unlock rewards create a nearby goal that people strive to attain.
Feeling Behind. Once people reach this goal, they feel behind — as if they're just starting now.
Sunk Cost. If people give up, they'll be wasting the time and effort they spent to unlock the reward mechanism.

Other New Studies

Products Seem More Sustainable With Less Saturated Colors - Subconsciously, a gentler color will seem gentler on the environment (Pichierri & Pino, 2023).
Employees Perform Worse With Daily Monitoring - It increases anxiety. Instead, managers should work with employees to structure the style and frequency of supervision. This approach will maintain their autonomy, which is a key driver of intrinsic motivation (Zheng, Nieberle, Braun, & Schyns, 2023)
Luxury Customers Shouldn't Hide Their Shame - Ironically, people seem authentic when they acknowledge their interest in luxury products. Suddenly their motivation seems intrinsic (e.g., enjoyment) rather than extrinsic (e.g., status seeking; Jung, Chen, & Yap, 2023).