Cognitive behaviors and video games

Mobile Games

100

• $100 Scenario: A game makes a player wait 24 hours to build a base, but offers a "Skip Wait for $1.99" button.

Hyperbolic Discounting

200

• $200 Scenario: The game store shows a $99.99 Mega Gem Bundle right at the top of the screen, and a $9.99 Starter Pack right below it, making $10 feel super cheap.

 

: Anchoring Effect

300

• $300 Scenario: A player spends $40 opening loot boxes trying to get a rare character and gets nothing. They say, "If I stop now, that $40 was a total waste!" and spend $20 more.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy (Spending more to justify past money spent)

400

$400 Scenario: A mobile store converts your dollars into 500 "Gems" or "Coins" so you spend them without thinking about real mone

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  • Anchoring / Currency Disconnection

Console/Shooters

100

• $100 Scenario: A banner pops up in Fortnite showing a character skin with a red timer counting down: "01 Hour Remaining – Never Coming Back!"

 

Loss Aversion / FOMO (Fear of missing out)

200

• Marcus is tired and wants to go to sleep, but he bought the $10 Battle Pass today and feels like he has to keep playing for 3 hours so it doesn't go to waste.

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  • : The Sunk Cost Fallacy (Playing out of obligation from past spending)

300

• $300 Scenario: All of Chris’s friends buy the new $20 skin. Chris buys it too, not because he loves it, but because he’s afraid of being the only "default" player left out.

Loss Aversion / Social Exclusion

400

• $400 Scenario: A game offers a $5.00 "Double XP Booster" so you can level up twice as fast today instead of playing normally for two weeks.

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  • Hyperbolic Discounting (Trading money for instant speed)

Real Life / Street

100

• $100 Scenario: Tyrell buys shoes that are way too small. They hurt his feet, but he wears them anyway because he paid $120 for them and refuses to "waste" them.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

200

• $200 Scenario: A sneaker store drops limited-edition shoes. Jay doesn't even like the color, but buys them instantly because he knows they sell out in 10 minutes.

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  • Loss Aversion / FOMO

300

• $300 Scenario: Someone pays $1,500 to fix an old car. A week later, it breaks down again. They spend another $1,000 because they "already put too much into it."

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

400

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  • $400 Scenario: 
  • Given the choice between taking $10 cash right now or waiting two weeks for $20, most people choose the $10 right now.
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  • Hyperbolic Discounting (Valuing immediate rewards over future gains)

Commissary & Stores

100

100 Scenario: A pair of jeans has a tag that says: ~~$120.00~~ ➔ SALE: $35.00! The store never actually sold them for $120

Anchoring Effect (Fake high price makes $35 look like a deal)

200

$200 Scenario: A fast-food spot sells a Small drink for $2.00, a Medium for $3.75, and a Large for $4.00. Why is the Medium priced so high at $3.75

Anchoring Effect / Decoy (Pushes you to pay $4.00 for the Large)

300

• A canteen sells a special snack box for 5 tokens, but announces: "Only 3 left in stock—once they are gone, they will NEVER be sold again!" A player buys one immediately even though they aren't hungry.

Loss Aversion (FOMO)? (Buying out of fear of losing the chance to get it before it disappears forever).

400

• $400 Scenario: A store constantly rotates its inventory weekly instead of keeping items stocked forever. What bias are they taking advantage of?

Loss Aversion / Artificial Scarcity