Behavioral Neuroscience & Dating
Decision Making From an Evolutionary Perspective
As a neuroscientist, I have the unforgiving tendency to look at things before they became so. When we look at behavior, for example, we ask ourselves the obvious: why?
If you’re familiar with the experiment conducted by Frans de Waal on capuchin monkeys, you’ve witnessed a complex set of behavioral choices executed by a more primitive version of our brains; oh, if you’re not then you’re missing out (click here to watch).
Before we became so, or what we are now, we transitioned through a series of sophisticated evolutions that have made us what we are today. The forces of nature molded and sculpted a brain that’s main purpose is optimal processing for survival. From that paradigm, we reverse engineer human choices to understand exactly what motivates behavior.
How To Motivate People
It’s surprisingly simple. Motivation can be thought of as a “force” that compels or biases people to make specific choices, or take particular actions. The easiest form of motivation, but a very powerful one nonetheless, is monetary; that’s what wakes you up early, and puts you to bed early. What is most important to recognize is that every form of motivation is actually a reward.
Studies conducted on animal models elucidated the processes by which behaviors and choices are learned. Basically, an animal takes an action and appraises the reaction of the environment. So, if Pavlov’s dog heard a bell before every feast, then the dog associates the bell with the feast, and begins to salivate from there onwards when hearing bells. Similarly, humans are conditioned by the outcomes of their choices and behaviors. If every time you went to work you got paid, you keep going to work.
Behavioral conditioning is not always a conscious process. Although, it is arguably more subconscious because you’re not really paying attention when everything is going on, you just notice the results. It’s also more complicated because there are different procedures and mechanics to conditioning that depend on the types of outcomes, and the times of outcomes. But, remember this: a “variable reward schedule” is the most potent conditioning schedule.
The Crimzon Model
Now that we’re done with behavioral neuroscience 101, let’s tie this up. Crimzon uses a gamified form of a variable reward schedule in many ways.
The Reward Algorithms
Crimzon uses probabilistic algorithms that reward users with Crimzon Coins when they meet their matches. What’s a probabilistic algorithm? That’s a fancy concept that means you don’t always get a reward when you meet, only sometimes based on a probability curve that changes depending on how many times you’ve been rewarded in a 24 hour period, and the time spent with your match. That’s right, you can get rewarded with coins just for meeting up with your matches.
Users also get rewarded via probabilistic algorithms when they enter the HotZones. So, if you’re planning to go out, maybe choose to go to a HotZone because 1) there are more people using Crimzon there, and 2) you might get some Crimzon Coins!
Following the behavioral principles learned above, if every time a user went out to a HotZone and met someone they liked or had a great social experience, or were rewarded with Crimzon Coins, then they associate going out with getting rewarded, variably. This model creates a strong drive.
The driving force pushes people closer together, and creates dense social circles around venues. What about the coins? The coins have many use cases, from purchasing premiums on Crimzon’s app, to purchasing third-party services like transportation or hotel stays. In the future, the coins will be used to broker contracts between dates, like payments for food or otherwise, and to register in Crimzon’s premium VR Dating experience!
