Imagine you are a realtor and are showing a prospective buyer a house with a lake view, but it is foggy and the view is less than ideal. Are you inclined to tell the prospective buyer, “Unfortunately it is foggy outside. If it were not foggy, the view would be even better!”? Eight studies,...

Can a reward of an uncertain magnitude be more motivating than a reward of a certain magnitude? This research documents the motivating-uncertainty effect and specifies when this effect occurs. People invest more effort, time, and money to qualify for an uncertain reward (e.g., a 50% chance at $2...