Blog #2- The Effect of Expectations

After reading the chapter from Predictably Irrational, titled “The Effect of Expectations, Why the Mind Gets What It Expects” by Dan Ariely, I felt extremely intrigued. I have often times wondered why I see things differently than my friends or even my parents. I have always known that expectations have played an enormous part in our decision making, but this chapter seemed to truly explain the reasons for our decisions what they are based on.

The chapter focused on how our expectations influence our views on events and experiences. For example, if we are told that something tastes good and are given descriptive details about how savory the treat is, we are more likely be blinded by the words rather than the actual taste. As stated in the chapter, “changing our expectations, they can effectively influence the taste when we have this pre-knowledge.” Mr. Ariely makes the point that our “expectations influence [our] behaviors of subsequent events” multiple times through his numerous experiments testing peoples expectations against and for their actual experiences.

If marketers can create and grab hold of expectations in the consumers mind, they are destined for success. If you can create a positive expectation then it is very likely that your product will be viewed positively. A key focus of marketer’s needs to be creating a position in the consumer’s mind of a positive experience that they will have from the product or service. By doing so, the product or service will take precedence over others in the consumers mind and hold a value above the competitors.

The main example that Mr. Ariely provides is his beer experiment at one of MIT’s bars, called Muddy Charles. He tested his theory that “people’s expectations influence their views of subsequent events” His experiment specifically tested whether “bar patrons’ expectations for a certain kind of beer would shape their perception of its taste”. Dan Ariely did this through the use of blind tasting two different beers. He took regular Budweiser and placed it in an unmarked cup and Budweiser with two drops of Balsamic vinegar (per ounce) in another unmarked cup. He then asked the bar customers to try the beer on two different platforms. First he asked the customers to try the two beers, identifying which beer they preferred (he did so without telling them that the second beer had vinegar in it). A substantially large number of the taste-testers decided that the “vinegar laced” beer was better. He then asked a second group of customers to taste the beers, telling them ahead of time that the second beer had vinegar in it. This, of course, caused the taste-testers to pick the first beer after their expectations were altered. For you see, they already expected the second beer to taste bad, because of the vinegar, causing them to alter their opinions of the actual taste. Mr. Ariely went on to test several other alternatives to the beer experiment, such as, telling customers after tasting that the second beer had vinegar in it. He also tested his hypothesis in various other instances like the catering business and the description of foods.

I feel that another example would be the expectations that Texas aTm students and UT students have of each other. For instance, aTm students see themselves as prideful and dedicated, while numerous Texas students see them as “cult-like” and Podunk. On the other hand, Texas students see themselves as “the only school in Texas” and the smartest, while aTm students see UT students as arrogant and spoiled. These expectations and views are simply due to our loyalty and innate beliefs that your school and family have ingrained in you. Many graduating seniors do not even apply to the “opposing” school based on these views, rather than accepting that both schools are accomplished academically.

Experiences and expectations can be a gold mine for marketers if they are harnessed correctly and efficiently.