Megawatts & Negawatts

No happy ending, unless there's another bone -- right now.

News from the social science lab shows how envy can improve response to rebate programs, or ruin them. Research shows that envy alters the way we think and act:

• Memory and attention are stimulated by envy. That’s good.
• Feelings of envy make you give up sooner on problem-solving tasks. That’s bad.

Those findings are reported in a recent New York Times article, A deadly sin that serves a higher purpose.

To exploit the good and dodge thebad we need rebate program structures that either:

• shorten up the payback cycle
• or maintain a steady trickle of rewards to keep you engaged until the big payoff arrives