This is going to be a brief psychiatry session. Please get comfortable. You’re getting very sleepy. Now sink into the floor.
Just kidding. Today we want to ask the question, are we, as Flex drivers being manipulated.
Refresh, “Sorry, this block has been taken”, Refresh, Repeat… Until the rewarding green bar appears. Sound familiar? Is this variable reward cycle of the Amazon Flex app addictive? Yes, in fact, very much so.
In the world of behavioral studies there’s a little thing known as The Hook Model. Termed by author Nir Eyal. This model is designed to create habit-forming behavior in users via a looping cycle.
The Amazon Flex Hook:
- Trigger: Money / Work
- Action: Competing for Blocks
- Reward: Getting a Block
- Investment: Time
It starts with the trigger, in our case making money. Then an action, tapping Refresh. Now a variable reward, getting a block. To finish the cycle there’s the continued investment with the service, our time.
This cycle creates a habit forming loop that we see with many Flex drivers. It becomes a daily occurrence. Tapping for blocks, failing, eventually getting one, the reward. Continuing to invest time. Thinking of it as a competition. Got to tap faster and at the right times. Some users even disrupting their sleep cycle by getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning to tap for blocks.
THE ALLURE OF ANTICIPATION
Tap tap tap. Y’all got any more of them blocks?
Studies with brain imaging have shown that it’s not the reward that excites us. It’s the anticipation of receiving the award that activates the brain’s pleasure centers.
The Amazon Flex app, whether intentional or not, completes the Hook Model very well. It’s evident in driver’s behavior. Some of them claiming to tap for hours at a time. While others bragging about all the blocks they get. The competition is real. And this is good for our tribal nature.
THE TRIBE:
As social creatures. We crave connection and belonging. Many people these days are using social media to fill the void of tribal acceptance and approval. This trait, that is present in all of us, is very easy to manipulate. With the various Amazon Flex Facebook groups we see the tribal nature in action. The competition and trash talk. The cooperation of sharing what blocks are up on the app. Sharing what blocks you’ve gotten and how good/bad the route was. These communities become our new tribes.
THE HUNT:
This one is more obvious in the context of Amazon Flex drivers. The hunt for a block. The unpredictability of dropping blocks by Amazon. Without any set schedule. This variable nature keeps us coming back for the thrill of the chase.
THE SELF:
The one that we’re all probably most familiar with. The reward for ourselves. The need to seek personal gratification. Our desire to control and master the activities in which we participate. In this case Amazon Flex and getting blocks. We get the variable rewards of offers, sometimes even at increased rates! The competition and the challenge. Combined with our tribal nature and we’re hooked.
Not All Habits are Bad:
With badges, medals, and achievements app developers are looking to gamification to hook users.
Many apps are openly utilizing the Hook Model to retain users. Including fitness apps from Nike and Fitbit. Nutritional and other wellness apps are all using gamification and the Hook to create habits in their user base.
On the surface it sounds wrong. Intentionally manipulating the nature of human psychology so that your app becomes addictive. However in the context of exercise, nutrition, and wellness it becomes a beneficial habit for the users.
INTROSPECTION
Are you being manipulated by the Hook Model and gamification techniques? We all face these challenges on a daily basis. The world of advertising and marketing can be a cold place. We’re constantly being bombarded with ads and ideas that are not our own. We encourage you to take a little time each day for some stillness and introspection.
CONCLUSION
We have no doubts that Amazon utilizes the Hook Model and other manipulative techniques to drive sales. Every retail chain in the world is doing it. It’s up to us to take that power back. To become informed with the techniques. Becoming aware of the manipulative nature of social media, retail, advertising, and marketing allows us to recognize the triggers. Is Amazon manipulating us? Yes, along with every other major corporation. It’s up to us to recognize the hooks and not fall for the bait.
Sources:
https://www.nirandfar.com/2012/03/want-to-hook-your-users-drive-them-crazy.html
