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Goal-gradient effect 0:35
A 35-second explainer of Goal-gradient effect, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Goal-gradient effect demo
What this video covers
The goal-gradient effect shows how motivation increases as you near a reward - people tend to push harder in the final stretch than at the start. Showing visible progress, even a small head start, makes the goal feel within reach, so people keep going.
Both cards needed the same eight coffees from you - but the one that started two ahead felt closer to the reward the whole way, and that head start is what keeps people collecting. That is the goal-gradient effect: motivation climbs as the finish line nears, so a little endowed progress goes a long way.
