Evaluating

Surprise Effect

When we are surprised our brain freezes for 1/25th of a second & enters a state of extreme curiosity as we try to figure out what is happening. As a consequence, we experience emotions that are 400x more intense.

For Example

Car dealerships often surprise customers with a gift basket upon the collection of their new car. While the individual was already excited, this unexpected gesture intensifies their emotions, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Similar Biases

Novelty Effect

We tend to remember tasks and goals that are not completed.

Discovered
Paul Ekman and Robert Plutchik
Introduced
Kimberly Chiew and colleagues from the University of Denver
Source
Remembering Election Night 2016: Subjective but not objective metrics of autobiographical memory vary with political affiliation, affective valence, and surprise.
Authors
No items found.
Experiment One
Experiment Two
Experiment Three
The Evidence

The Emotional Impact of Unexpected vs. Expected Outcomes in Novice Basketball Players

In an experiment, researchers asked novice basketball players to take shots from multiple locations and to rate their perceived chances of success before shooting. After each shot, players rated their level of happiness or unhappiness. The results indicated that surprising successes elicited stronger emotional responses than expected successes, and the same pattern was observed for failures. This finding highlights the intensified emotional impact of unexpected outcomes compared to anticipated ones.

Rebel Discover Course
Source
The Evidence

The Emotional Impact of Unexpected Outcomes in a Spelling Bee Experiment

In an experiment, researchers asked students to participate in a spelling bee and to rate their confidence in their answers. After revealing the correct answers, the students were asked to rate their emotional responses. The results demonstrated that unexpected outcomes, whether correct or incorrect, elicited stronger emotional reactions compared to anticipated outcomes. This highlights the significant impact of surprises on emotional responses.

Rebel Discover Course
Source
The Evidence

Rebel Discover Course
Source
Need
Need
Awareness
Awareness
Consideration
Consideration
Exploration
Exploration
Research
Research
Selection
Selection
Purchase
Purchase
Post-Purchase
Post-Purchase

Affected Problems

Check the problems below the bias can help you fix in customer experience

Features

Price

Time

Experience

The surprise effect has the power to amplify both positive and negative emotions, significantly enhancing the customer experience. By strategically incorporating elements of surprise, businesses can create memorable and emotionally engaging interactions that resonate with customers, ultimately fostering stronger connections and loyalty.

Efficiency

These should appear once a challenges is submitted

Let's remove the button below and "still have questions" text

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Question text goes here

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Customer Experience Pillars

Here I need 10 horizontal dots, the ones that empty can't be clicked, others that are lit (blue color) can be clicked and content shows. A small text. Each dot has a name like Recognition, Integrity, expectations etc.

We should have two rows - one for Higher Order Needs and the other one for Lower Order Needs

Challenges

Customer Experience Pillars

Application Touchpoints

Interfaces where it can be applied most efficiently

Instruction for below blog

In the blog below, it would lead to our normal blog, with regular page structure, but once a blog article is published we should have an option to check if it's a bias realted USE CASE. Then it attributes it to this bias and lead the traffic to a generated page which has only posts / USE CASES related to this bias.

Behavioral Blog

Use Cases

Check the use cases to inspire the application of this behavioral bias

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Zeigarnik Effect
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Zeigarnik Effect
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Sunk Cost Fallacy
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Renascence Advice

When utilizing the surprise effect, it’s important to balance its benefits with ethical considerations. Positive surprises can enhance customer experiences and build loyalty by creating memorable interactions. However, negative surprises or misuse can lead to frustration and distrust. Focus on delivering genuine, pleasant surprises that add value and avoid tactics that might be perceived as deceptive. This ensures the surprise effect enhances customer satisfaction without compromising brand integrity.

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