CONNECTIONS: Why Not to Bet on a Good Show

Have you ever participated in an office pool for football, the Oscars, or Survivor - and then wondered why you didn't enjoy the show?

A research study published in the Journal of Consumer Research (June 2008) reveals that betting on outcomes of games or shows reduces viewing pleasure. Study authors Naomi Mandel from the University of Chicago and Stephen M. Nowlis from Arizona State University designed a series of experiments that involved either predicting or not predicting the outcomes of TV shows, game shows, and marble games.

In one experiment, participants watched clips from TV shows. Some were asked to make predictions about the outcomes, while others simply watched TV. A second experiment involved gambling (or not) on which color of marble would be plucked from a jar. The researchers changed the amounts and timing of the bets as well as the perceived certainty of the outcomes.

The results: betting does not increase enjoyment of an activity. "Nobody likes to be wrong. Once a person has committed to a predicted outcome, he's set himself up for the possibility of looking like a fool," write the authors. Apparently, the fear of losing may feel worse than losing itself. And worry may decrease viewing pleasure.

"In a wide range of studies, people have been shown to be poor predictors of their own enjoyment and happiness," write Mandel and Nowlis, who believe their results imply that a gambler may enjoy the game more if the "house" makes the bet.

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen