People put extra effort in tasks when rewards are 'uncertain'

A new study has recently revealed that people often tend to put extra efforts in order to obtain uncertain rewards in comparison with the certain rewards.

Luxi Shen (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Ayelet Fishbach, and Christopher K. Hsee (both University of Chicago Booth School of Business) stated that when comparing the time, money, and effort people invest in order to qualify for either a certain or an uncertain reward, they found that the uncertain reward was more motivating than the certain reward, an effect they dubbed the motivating-uncertainty effect.

The findings can help companies and public policy makers when designing incentive systems. Introducing a bit of uncertainty could help to motivate people and make the effort required to achieve a reward seem more like a game and less like work.

The authors concluded that the idea that uncertainty can increase motivation was counterintuitive, but its underlying mechanism was not, stating formally, the motivating-uncertainty effect was based on the positive experience that revealing the unknown induces.

The study is published in the Journal of Consumer Research.