We’ve talked about Amazon Flex and it’s potential use of psychological manipulation before. Much like a scratch off lottery ticket, I find myself tapping away at the Flex app hoping for that big winner. I’ll find myself refreshing even when I have no intention of working. Like when i’m at the beach or on vacation. What is this urge to catch a block? Why am I so drawn to the Amazon Flex app looking for that next fix?
Perhaps I just have an addictive personality. I don’t gamble. Never had a problem with it. But someday’s I’ll find myself working a block and be like “How did I end up here? I was supposed to take today off”. I guess I just cant resist the $25 an hour surge block. Or I’ll see a block flash by and I just got to grab it. I can’t help but feel there’s psychology at play.
In the world of gambling and it’s studies there is something known as “the near miss effect.” Gamblers experiencing the near miss of an almost winning hand, spin, or lottery ticket take it as a sign that they should keep playing. A 2009 paper in the journal Neuron showed that near misses activated the same reward systems in the brain as actual gambling wins. Does that sound familiar? The near miss of catching a block.
Are we as Flex drivers gambling with our time? Spending hours a day tapping. Hoping to activate a temporary rush of dopamine for a little green bar. When we catch a block we feel like winners. But ultimately who’s the real winner here? Sure, at the end of the day you get paid, but Amazon is making a whole lot more.
Intentional or Nah?
The question remains. Has Amazon intentionally developed the Amazon Flex app to have such psychological effects. Or have they stumbled upon it by chance. Being the worlds largest online retailer. I think they know all to well about people and psychology. After years of collecting millions of users data and profiling them. I have no doubts they use psychology to encourage people to buy things. I don’t necessarily think its unethical to do so. However, using these methods to get people to work for you is a different story. It becomes somewhat reminiscent of an evil puppet master pulling the strings. How far are they willing to go?
Sources:
https://www.wired.com/2011/03/the-near-miss-effect/
https://www.wired.com/2011/03/the-near-miss-effect/
http://www.businessinsider.com/psychological-reasons-why-we-buy-lottery-tickets-2016-1