Why are we more motivated by rewards of unknown sizes?
Motivating Uncertainty Effect
, explained.What is the Motivating-Uncertainty Effect?
We often find ourselves to be more motivated by rewards of unknown magnitudes than by known rewards because the uncertainty makes it feel like a game. However, this effect, which is known as the motivating uncertainty effect, only occurs when we focus on the journey towards the reward and not when we focus on actually winning the reward.
Where this bias occurs
Suppose you’re a long-distance runner, registered for two upcoming races. The prize for winning the first race is 50.00$. The prize for winning the second race, however, will not be announced until after the race. All you know is that it’s a money prize. Other than that, there’s not much that sets the races apart: both are 10 kilometers and have a similar number of people registered for them. Despite the fact that the races look basically the same, you find yourself more motivated to win the second one. This is an example of the motivated uncertainty effect. These two races differ only in the fact that the reward for winning one is known, while the other is unknown. The prospect of achieving the unknown reward is more motivating to us than is the prospect of winning the known award. In this case, you may find that you push yourself harder in the second race than you did in the first, and take preparing for it more seriously, by getting a good night’s sleep beforehand, eating a hearty breakfast, and ensuring that you stretch and warm up before running.
