Powerful Loops Developing Compulsion and Desire in Apps Quinn McHenry! Senior Developer Small Planet Digital ! [email protected] 

With great power... 

flickr: Jeff Kubina 

No content

Operant Conditioning • Ancient concept, only recently named • B. F. Skinner “The Behavior of Organisms” 1938 • Voluntary behavior • Neurochemistry, Dopamine • Addiction 

Compulsion Loop Trigger Action Response Reinforcement 

Trigger • Initial trigger • Friends, blog post, app store, subway ad • Biggest opportunity • Internal triggers • Cue to perform a behavior again • Seeing app icon, hearing similar sound 

Action • Shooting aliens • Launching birds • Scratching tickets • Watching gifs • Pinning shoes • Pulling lever • Voluntary - users are under no obligation • Short and sweet - get here quickly from the trigger 

Response • Level finished • Collected coins • Gained power up • Gained followers • Beat your high score • Beat a friend’s high score • Get dog biscuit 

Reinforcement • Makes desired behavior occur more often • Creates desire ! • Leverages Dopamine pathways 

Reinforcement Schedules • Continuous - vending machine*, fridge • Fixed interval - biweekly paycheck, monster spawning • Variable interval - fishing • Fixed ratio - 100 points per 4 receipts, leveling up in game • Variable ratio - one armed bandit, special item drops, fishing 

Variability • Variable reinforcement schedules • Ridiculously compelling ! • Variable responses • Different reward amounts yield higher compulsion than constant rewards 

What Makes Variability Compulsive? • Our brains crave predictability • We yearn to find patterns • Deduction of cause and effect >> self-control and moderation • Dopamine doesn’t provide rewards for finding patterns • Dopamine keeps us searching for patterns 

Dopamine Trigger Action Reward Dopamine Trigger Action Reward Dopamine Trigger Action Reward Dopamine • Not about pleasure • About the anticipation of pleasure • Dopamine blocked -> actions don’t happen • Reinforcement schedules influence Dopamine • We crave actions that release Dopamine • We are profoundly manipulable • Addictive substances amplify effect • Humans have an astonishing capacity for latency between action and reward 

Multiple Loops • Not limited to a single loop • Not limited to one reinforcement schedule 

Multiple Loops • Loops at multiple scales • Immediate mid-round bonus • Full round of play • Between sessions/days 

Pinterest • Action: pin something • Responses • Repin, comment • Gain follower • Reach Popular page • All variable-ratio schedule 

Jetpack Joyride • Multiple levels of loops at different scales • Currency collection • Character enhancements & customizations • Distance progressed in level (vs friends) • In-level bonuses • Actual slot machine after levels • Fixed-interval, escalating daily rewards • Immediate gratification, minimal friction to gameplay 

Threes • Simple loop • High score • Challenge friends • Still amazingly compulsive 

Cage Match 

Receipt Pal • Action: submit receipts • Fixed-ratio rewards • Fixed-ratio long-term rewards • Sweepstakes • Other possibilities? Other loops? • Sequential days • Variation 

Extinction • All good things… • Gradual, inevitable decline • Competition • Keep it fresh • Variable-ratio has highest resistance 

Ethical Development • Responsible loops • Most compelling may not be the most fun • Ethical purchasing 

Takeaways • Consider compulsion loops early • Consider multiple levels of loops • Variability rules • Hold back some good stuff • Reconsider tutorials • Do no harm