Office pool thrills quickly turn into game of regret: study

The odds are good office pools breed widespread discontent, suggests a U.S. study on consumer behaviour.

Arizona State University researchers Naomi Mandel and Stephen M. Nowless theorize that placing bets on sporting events or competition may in fact bleed the fun out of being a spectator. Mandel and Nowless said they decided to study the subject of gambling when an office pool for the reality show Survivor appeared to raise their own co-workers' anxiety levels.

"We observed that making an advance prediction of the likely winner seemed to have an effect on how much people enjoyed watching the show throughout the season," says the study, published in the June issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

The researchers designed a series of four experiments designed to replicate the experience of participating in office pools. In two experiments, researchers asked participants to place bets on who would be the winner of a quiz show. Two other studies involved a gambling game.

The researchers found that consumers initially experience a high when placing their picks but as the event unfolds, they experienced high levels of regret.

"When consumers are making predictions about the outcome of an event, we hypothesize that they will be initially more likely to focus on the potential thrill of being correct, rather than on the potential displeasure of being incorrect," says the study.

"As a result, consumers are likely to anticipate an increase in enjoyment due to making predictions. However, as the show actually unfolds, consumers may then be more likely to consider their negative feelings if they are in fact incorrect."

The study notes that even those who picked winners did not report enjoying the event any more than those who picked losers. The authors also said people who participate in office pools tend to remember and emphasize the thrill of making their picks over the anxiety they felt while watching the event.

"It is possible that consumers will not enjoy a show as much when they make predictions, but they will not accurately remember this diminished experience or attribute it to the act of making a prediction," the study said.

"Instead, they might remember the increased excitement they felt over who would win, rather than the anticipated regret that they might have felt if their pick had not won."

The researchers suggest the findings of the study may contribute to understanding a consumer's sense of self-satisfaction.

"We add to existing research that shows that consumers are not always the most accurate predictors of what will influence their future enjoyment," the study said.

"This topic is critical for understanding how consumers might manage their own happiness and life satisfaction levels."

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Office pool thrills quickly turn into game of regret: study

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