53. Unpredictability Keeps People Searching

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THE PAVLOVIAN REFLEX

The dopamine system is especially sensitive to cues that a reward is coming. If there is a small, specific cue that signifies that something is going to happen, that sets off your dopamine system.

140 CHARACTERS IS EVEN MORE ADDICTIVE

The dopamine system is most powerfully stimulated when the information comes in small amounts, so that it doesn’t full satisfy the desire for information. A short text or a tweet (which has a maximum of 140 characters) is ideally suited to sending the dopamine system raging.

THE DOPAMINE LOOP

Loops starts when you seek, get rewarded for seeking and makes you seek more. Such as, seeing what your friends are up to, you go to social media. Or want to look something up, you research on a search engine.

To break this loop, you may have to turn off your computer or leave your phone out of sight/reach. Or simply turn off alerts/notifications cues so you won't be induced into a loop.

Takeaways

Pairing cues such as sounds with the arrival of information motivates people to seek more.

Giving small bits of information and then providing a way for people to get more infor- mation results in more information-seeking behavior.

The more unpredictable the arrival of information is, the more people will be addicted to seeking it.