Why do we hate waiting? This is what experts say

In two recent articles, Annabelle Roberts, Texas McCombs Assistant Professor of Marketing, Explores internal dialogue This happens when people feel impatient: whether they’re standing in a long line or waiting for an important announcement.

Both articles examine how the desire to finish something affects impatience. The first article analyzes how this affects decision making; For example, choosing to complete a task now rather than later. the second one explores Emotions People’s experiences while waiting and how the experience changes as the end of the wait approaches.

Roberts is interested in how impatience affects In decisions made by people, such as investing for the future or spending on something today. His work also teaches what marketers can do to make the wait less annoying. “We’ve all had the experience of being very frustrated while waiting,” she says.

due to impatience

In an article, Roberts has analyzed the causes of impatience. with Alex Imas And ayelet fishbach From the University of Chicago, the answer is: end, conclusion, conclusion. They say that the need to finish something influences inter-temporal choice: the relative value that people place on a reward today versus a reward at a future date.

done in seven studies Online And in the lab, participants chose between working earlier or waiting less time to work. get the same results, Participants were willing to pay more or do more work when it would help them complete the task faster.

“need of close aim “This helps explain the counterfactual preference for getting things done quickly or getting paid quickly,” says Roberts. “We found that impatience is not just about this short-sighted desire for rewards. “It’s also about removing goals from your list, not aiming at them.”

The study also reveals why marketing promotions, such as sales offers “Buy now and pay later”He further said, sometimes they don’t work. Consumers probably don’t want the stress of not knowing when payment is due.

emotional trajectory of waiting

For his second work, also with Fishback, Roberts followed the emotional trajectory of those waits. They found that the pain of waiting becomes more intense as the end approaches.

“This article is about people’s emotions, their experiences while waiting,” says Roberts. “While you expect the ‘wait’ to be over soon, you become more impatient as you get closer to that expectation.”

actual conditions

in conditions of real life, respondents rated their level of impatience while waiting for the first COVID-19 vaccine or for their bus to arrive in downtown Chicago. As the wait was about to end, his frustration increased. They felt worse when they were close to receiving the vaccine or when the bus was close to arriving.

A group of respondents expressed impatience at the results presidential election 2020. Levels of supporters for both Joe Biden and Donald Trump increased on Election Day.

The next day, the impatience was even greater, as vote counting was still going on. As Roberts notes, this escalated to both sides, even if biden Was leading.

“Even people who were hoping their candidate wouldn’t win wanted it to end,” says Roberts. “This nicely reflects the desire for closure and how that manifests in the experience of waiting.”

She suggests this conclusion to companies: If there is uncertainty about When will the package be delivered, it is better to prepare customers for a long wait rather than a short wait. This way, you can get there before they get impatient.

It may also be better to inform customers about wait delays later so they can adjust their expectations accordingly. For a follow-up project, Roberts is researching useful interventions to help people feel more patient while waiting.