A study by industrial psychologists at the Leeds Business School investigated the effects of a gamified productivity app called 'PickMaster' on warehouse workers. The app delivers a haptic 'ping' (vibration) to workers' smart wristbands when high-priority orders land.
Researchers found that workers who received these physical pings completed their pick cycles 30% faster than those working without wristbands. Additionally, the app awards 'Golden Crate' mystery tokens at unpredictable intervals (averaging every 10 successful picks), which workers can exchange for extra break time or cafeteria vouchers. Workers using 'PickMaster' reported feeling highly motivated, with 75% of them consistently exceeding their daily targets, compared to only 15% before the app's introduction. However, some union representatives raised concerns that these continuous alerts and unpredictable rewards lead to physical exhaustion and compulsive work habits, with some workers skipping scheduled rest breaks entirely to chase the 'Golden Crate' bonuses.
Explain how the behaviourist perspective may be applied to the 'PickMaster' gamification app described in the article.
