Why do we LOVE taking quizzes? It’s not just because they’re fun: they actually tap into many psychology principles.
So, once you know how to use them to your advantage? You can create the MOST compelling quiz to boost engagement, data collection and lead generation for your business. It’ll be easier to promote it effectively, too. A win-win!
And that’s exactly what I’ll show you in this article – in simple terms (no psychology degree needed).
Ready to jump in?
Use these 7 psychology principles to compel your audience to take your quiz
Let’s look at how each of these psychology principles relates to quizzes and how you can make the most of it (with clear examples).
1. Curiosity and the information gap theory
When people encounter a gap in their knowledge on a topic they personally care about? They’re motivated to fill it.
For example, let’s say you’ve been learning SEO for your business and are a pro when it comes to on-page tactics. But then you find out that, to get the very most out of it, you must master off-page SEO, too. You’ll WANT to do that, won’t you?
How to use this psychology principle for your quiz
Pique your audience’s curiosity by highlighting this information gap, whether it’s about their personal traits, skills or general knowledge.
You can do this by focusing on what they care the most about and teasing the final outcome or mini-transformation offered by your quiz.
For example:
- “You’ve mastered your morning routine and done everything the productivity gurus have been telling you… and yet you still feel tired? It’s probably because you haven’t found the right exercise plan and schedule for you. So, take our Excellent Exercise Habits Quiz to fix that.”
- “You really thought you had all your ducks in a row for your big offer launch but it flopped. What exactly was holding you back? Find out by taking our free Money-Making Launch Quiz, and discover what you should master and fix before your next launch.”
2. Feedback loop and operant conditioning
This principle of psychology says we can use rewards and punishments to modify and improve behaviours.
Now, I’m most definitely NOT saying you should punish your audience! So, how can you apply this psychology principle to your quiz?
Well, quizzes provide immediate feedback to your participants. So, by figuring out if they got something right or wrong? They’ll feel that instant gratification, be motivated to continue and learn something once they get to the end of your quiz.
How to use this psychology principle for your quiz
Consider creating a quiz that shows the correct answer right after your participants have submitted their best guess.
You can also harness this psychology principle by sending them a customised scorecard instead of a standalone percentage or basic result.
A scorecard is divided into categories: it shows each participant both what they’re already doing well and what they still need to work on. Perfect to tap into that operant conditioning principle and help them improve their knowledge or behaviour!
For example:
- “Are your marketing results very hit and miss? Complete our Content Marketing Assessment. You’ll learn what’s actually been working well for you and what you can fix right now to smash your goals.”
- (After they selected the wrong answer) “Ouch, the right answer is actually [x]. Keep going, and we’ll show you how you can fix it.”
3. Social identity theory and in-group bias
These psychology principles tell us that we get a sense of who we are based on our “membership” and belonging to social groups.
So, when your quiz taps into your audience’s sense of belonging, purpose and identity? They’ll be even MORE motivated to take it and actually complete it!
How to use this psychology principle for your quiz
Create a quiz that can reinforce your audience’s sense of belonging to a specific group of community. Or if they haven’t got one yet? A quiz that’ll help them find it!
This is particularly relevant for quizzes that categorise people based on their interests, personality types, cultural preferences and so on.
Then, you can strengthen this sense of belonging even further by sending them personalised email sequences based on their profile and results.
For example:
- “THE ultimate offer-creation quiz for ethical coaches like you”
- “What type of entrepreneur are you?”
4. Self-perception theory
This psychology principle tells us that people develop their attitudes by observing their own behaviours.
And guess what helps us monitor our behaviours? A quiz, of course!
When you ask people to make choices (like picking their preferences or values), you’re giving them a chance to reinforce, challenge or alter their self-perception.
How to use this psychology principle for your quiz
Include questions that aren’t necessarily right or wrong (like multiple choices about their likes and dislikes).
And when promoting your quiz? Tease the fact that, by taking it, your audience will gain a better understanding of their current situation or be able to make more informed decisions.
For example:
- “What would help YOU enjoy your business more?”
- “Are you more of a risk taker or risk averse? And how is this influencing your career? Find out by taking our Risk Personality Quiz.”
5. Endowment effect
We often give more value to certain things… just because we own them! And that subjective value goes up the more we feel connected to them.
Ever wondered why people love their IKEA furniture so much? Because they invested time and energy in building it themselves!
And that’s the same with a quiz. Your participants will spend time completing it, and they’ll get personalised results: so, they’ll value them more because they’ll feel like they’ve earned them.
But you can emphasise this even further!
How to use this psychology principle for your quiz
Make your quiz participants feel that they actually own those valuable results.
The most basic quiz makers only allow you to show a generic, short and fleeting message (that disappears forever as soon as your participants click away).
Instead, with professional quiz builders like ScoreApp, you can wow your audience with more personalised results that are in-depth and on-brand, and you can email them to each prospect (= theirs to keep).
And with our higher plans? You can even turn them into bespoke and downloadable PDFs, all automatically.
6. Gamification and reward systems
Gamification works so well because it satisfies multiple fundamental desires, from self-expression to a love of competition and a need for achievement and recognition (and more!).
And when you introduce a reward system? You can increase both motivation and engagement even further.
How to use this psychology principle for your quiz
The very nature of online quizzes is perfect for gamification, and that’s why they’re usually more appealing than traditional surveys.
So, highlight their fun or competitive element by teasing it in your marketing and quiz promotion.
And if you definitely need to ask a lot of questions? Incentivise participation and keep your audience motivated with a gifted quiz: offer them a free digital product or exclusive discount once they get to the end.
For example:
- “Most digital marketers score up to 65% on our quiz. Can you do better?”
- “We want to help you take your business to the next level. So, discover your entrepreneur profile, and get the right free eBook based on your results.”
7. Social learning theory
This psychology principle says that we can learn by observing, imitating and modelling other people’s behaviours.
In other words, we look at what others have done and think “I should try that, too” or even “How would I do that differently?”
Either way, it draws us in, doesn’t it? And you can definitely harness this psychology principle with your quiz!
How to use this psychology principle for your quiz
Grab your audience’s interest right from the start: invite them to find out how they score compared to other people in their industry or those with a similar profile.
You should also encourage your participants to share their quiz results on social media. That way, more people will see them and want to take your quiz… thanks to the same psychology principle!
For example:
- “The most successful personal trainers answered [X]. What would you do differently?”
- (Automated message prompting your participants to share their results on social media) “I just scored 60% on this Instagram for Business Quiz. Can YOU do better?”
Apply these psychology principles to your quiz easily using ScoreApp
Quizzes are already attractive and popular thanks to their very nature.
But once you apply these psychological principles? You can make your quiz even MORE appealing, engaging and effective.
So, now that you’ve learnt all about them, it’s time to put it all into practice and get the best results.
With ScoreApp, you can get started in as little as 3 minutes and create your quiz today and for FREE.
