ÜBERMAD

Rule · how

Get a reward or payment for doing it

Incentives, prizes, lotteries or points for doing it.

A cheerful man in a checked jacket walks in place on a wooden block, eyeing a gold coin hanging from a pole on his back.

Studies (10)

  1. Review

    Reminders, rewards and more helped kids with cancer look after their own care
    TestedHelped

    Across 30 studies, reminders and rewards helped kids with cancer take pills and track how they felt, more than others.

    Pooled analysis of 30 studies with 3,400 people · vs a mix of different other groups · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ mixes trials with other kinds of study; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

  2. Paper

    Getting paid the moment you finish helped people start a week-long task sooner
    UsedMixed

    People paid the moment they finished started a week-long task about half a day sooner, but most finished no sooner.

    Trial of 611 students, staff and alumni of a US university · vs the same payment the day after the deadline · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ not yet checked by other scientists; unclear how groups were picked; summary claims more than the results show; many people dropped out

    UsedMixed

    Of those who finished, only people who often put things off finished sooner when paid right away.

    Trial of 611 students, staff and alumni of a US university · vs the same payment the day after the deadline · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ not yet checked by other scientists; unclear how groups were picked; summary claims more than the results show; many people dropped out

  3. Paper

    Daily texts and prize draws didn't clearly help people take blood-pressure pills
    TestedNo difference

    Prize draws plus daily texts, for taking pills on time, didn't clearly help daily pill-taking compared with usual care.

    Small randomised trial of 60 adults with high blood pressure in Los Angeles · vs usual care with the same leaflet and pill bottle · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out; summary claims more than the results show

    TestedNo difference

    Prize draws plus daily texts didn't clearly help people take their pills within an hour of their chosen routine.

    Small randomised trial of 60 adults with high blood pressure in Los Angeles · vs usual care with the same leaflet and pill bottle · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out; summary claims more than the results show

  4. Paper

    Pay tied to a partner's work got online workers to do more, and sooner
    UsedHelped

    Workers paid on their pair's shared work did more tasks on day one than workers paid for their own tasks.

    Randomised trial of 597 online workers in the US · vs workers paid only for their own tasks · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

    UsedHelped

    Workers who raced a partner for a bonus did more tasks on day one than workers paid alone.

    Randomised trial of 597 online workers in the US · vs workers paid only for their own tasks · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

    UsedHelped

    Workers paid on their pair's shared work did about 21 percent more tasks in all than those paid alone.

    Randomised trial of 597 online workers in the US · vs workers paid only for their own tasks · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

    UsedNo difference

    Racing a partner for a bonus did not clearly raise total work over three days, against plain pay per task.

    Randomised trial of 597 online workers in the US · vs workers paid only for their own tasks · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

  5. Paper

    Paying employees to get a health check once made them likelier to return later
    TestedHelped

    Staff offered one payment for a health check were a little likelier to go back in the next two years.

    Large randomised trial of 4,799 university employees in the US · vs staff who were offered no payment · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ not yet checked by other scientists; numbers unreliable

  6. Paper

    Weekly point goals and a leaderboard got drivers to hold their phones less
    TestedNo difference

    Adding small cash prizes to the point goals and leaderboard cut phone use no more than the game alone.

    Large randomised trial of 1,653 US drivers who often held phones while driving · vs the same game without cash prizes · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ numbers unreliable

  7. Paper

    Therapy and a home reward chart helped dreamy children put things off less
    TestedHelped

    Children who had nine talks on their thoughts, plus a home reward chart, put off schoolwork less than untreated children.

    Very small randomised trial of 10 slow, dreamy children aged 11 to 14 · vs children who got no therapy · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; results look too good to be true

  8. Paper

    Prize draws for taking most pills may have raised HIV pill-taking a little
    TestedMixed

    Prizes for taking at least 90 in 100 pills raised pill-taking slightly, though not clearly; prizes for showing up didn't.

    Randomised trial of 155 adults with HIV at a clinic in Uganda · vs usual clinic care with no prize draw · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable; many people dropped out

  9. Paper

    A $1 bonus for fresh produce about doubled purchases, and some of it lasted
    TestedHelped

    Shoppers offered an extra $1 for 5 cups of produce bought about 3.4 cups a trip, against 1.6 without it.

    Randomised trial of 222 shoppers at a Chicago neighbourhood grocery store · vs shoppers with the same store card but no bonus · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable; many people dropped out

    TestedMixed

    After the bonus ended, bonus shoppers bought more cups of produce than those without it, but didn't spend clearly more.

    Randomised trial of 222 shoppers at a Chicago neighbourhood grocery store · vs shoppers with the same store card but no bonus · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable; many people dropped out

  10. Paper

    Reminder emails about a step bonus raised walking, but the gain faded
    UsedHelped

    With a two-week step bonus, people who got reminder emails walked about 330 more steps a day.

    Large randomised trial of 2,055 users of a step-reward app with a Fitbit · vs the same step bonus without reminder emails · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ student thesis, not checked by other scientists; summary claims more than the results show

    UsedMixed

    The reminder group still walked about 300 more steps a day for two weeks after the bonus, but not later.

    Large randomised trial of 2,055 users of a step-reward app with a Fitbit · vs the same step bonus without reminder emails · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ student thesis, not checked by other scientists; summary claims more than the results show

Often used with it