On or Off Track: How (Broken) Streaks Affect Consumer Decisions

Abstract

New technologies increasingly enable consumers to track their behaviors over time, making them more aware of their “streaks” – behaviors performed consecutively three or more times – than ever before. Our research explores how these logged streaks affect consumers’ decisions to engage in the same behavior subsequently. In seven studies, we find that intact streaks highlighted via behavioral logs increase consumers’ subsequent engagement in that behavior, relative to when broken streaks are highlighted. Importantly, this effect is independent of actual past behavior, and depends solely on how that behavior is represented within the log. This is because consumers consider maintaining a logged streak to be a meaningful goal in and of itself. In line with this theory, the effect of intact (vs. broken) logged streaks is amplified when consumers attribute a break in the streak to themselves rather than to external factors, and attenuated when consumers can “repair” a broken streak. Our research provides actionable insights for companies seeking to benefit from highlighting consumers’ streaks in various consequential domains (e.g., fitness, learning) without incurring a cost (e.g., reduced engagement or abandonment) when those streaks are broken.

Fog Computing-Based Smart Consumer Recommender Systems

“…An array of new and unobtrusive devices, which promise to considerably enhance precision, are presently being tested [3]. The advanced technologies embedded in these devices are able to provide computerized scalable digitalized data; some employing remote physiological measurements [43,44], while others are able to track behaviors over time, measuring "streak" behaviors performed consecutively [45]. Most smartphones and some smartwatches can accommodate ambient light sensors, internal motion sensors (accelerometers), gesture sensors, gyroscopic sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, magnetometers, and barometers.…”

The entrenchment effect: Why people persist with less-preferred behaviors

“…On the other hand, tracking could work alongside entrenchment and further contribute to switch failures. Specifically, measuring output has been shown to increase how much of a behavior people do (Etkin, 2016) and highlighting streaks (vs. broken streaks) in behavioral logs can increase subsequent engagement in that behavior (Silverman & Barasch, 2023). Thus, increasing awareness of the number of tedious task rounds one completes-especially if framed as a streak-could further increase the likelihood people bypass opportunities to switch.…”

Streaking to Success? The Effects of Highlighting Streaks on Student Effort and Learning

“…Several psychological mechanisms have been proposed. Maintaining a streak can become a goal in and of itself, independent from the behavior on which it is based (Silverman and Barasch, 2023). This becomes a source of motivation as individuals try to avoid losing the streak which may be further amplified by loss aversion.…”

“…This can further serve to "gamify" the activity by creating rules and quantifying the outcome (Weathers and Poehlman, 2023). Finally, streaks may provide individuals with a sense of consistency and satisfy an inherent preference for order and uniformity (Silverman and Barasch, 2023).…”

“…To our knowledge, this is the first experimental study examining the effects of highlighting streaks in an educational context. The only other study examining the effects of highlighting streaks on individual behavior is a recent article by Silverman and Barasch (2023). They explore the impact of highlighting intact vs. broken streaks on subsequent engagement in the context of consumer behavior.…”