Why does intrigue make us so excited?

In Wilson's study, students were allowed to chat with girls from another university. After that, the experimenter said that each girl would be asked to write a letter, just one. To the one she liked the most.

A few minutes later, a miracle happens. Our student receives letters from all the girls with whom he managed to communicate. Someone writes: "I felt something sparkling between us", someone wrote about "the same interests", but the boldest ones even offered to meet in person.

The dream of any male student - that everyone wants him - has come true. Although wise readers understand that the subjects did not communicate with real girls, but with a computer program.

But the purpose of the experiment is not to raise the self-esteem of poor nerds. Just one part of the students was told which of the "girls" wrote which letter. Others didn’t receive such information.

At the beginning, all the students were happy. But after 15 minutes, only the “uninformed” ones retained a high level of pleasure. The rest, having analyzed the correspondence in their minds, decided that they understood why the girls liked them. So, they found an explanation and calmed down.

Although when the participants were asked to simulate the experiment “in their minds”, everyone thought that they would be more delighted to know the authors of the letters. Actually it is not true. Unexplained events intensify and prolong the emotional impact.

Secret admirers are much more memorable. The author of “Marketing psychology” recollects a situation from his own life. “About ten years ago, a letter from cut out letters was placed on my desktop: "It was us who kidnapped your lemur...". And the toy really disappeared from my table. I still remember the incident and regret that I never revealed the author.”

The appearance of intrigue - as a pre-known part of the consumer experience - leads to an increase in satisfaction.