posted 13th April 2023
Many clients we help are victims of timeshare exit and timeshare compensation scams. Many of these victims have paid for services that were not required. Victims are often motivated by fear and loss, which is enforced by criminals trying to influence large upfront payments for services that are either unnecessary or non-existent.
The fear of harm, or aversion to negative outcomes, can often be a more significant motivator than the prospect of reward due to several psychological and evolutionary factors:
Survival instinct: Humans, like many other species, have evolved a strong survival instinct to avoid harm and danger. This instinct is deeply ingrained in our biology and psychology, as it has helped our ancestors survive in challenging environments. The fear of harm triggers a "fight or flight" response, which prepares us to respond to potential threats and take action to protect ourselves. This instinctual response to fear can be a powerful motivator, as it taps into our basic need for self-preservation.
Negativity bias: Humans tend to have a negativity bias, which means that negative events and experiences tend to have a stronger impact on us than positive ones. This bias is believed to result from our evolutionary history, where our ancestors needed to be highly attuned to potential dangers in their environment to survive. As a result, negative stimuli, such as the fear of harm, often capture our attention and elicit stronger emotional responses compared to positive stimuli, such as the prospect of reward.
Loss aversion: Loss aversion is a cognitive bias that refers to our tendency to feel the pain of losses more strongly than the pleasure of gains. In other words, we tend to be more motivated to avoid losing something than gaining something of equal value. The fear of harm can tap into this loss aversion, as it represents a potential loss or negative outcome that we want to avoid at all costs. This can create a strong motivation to take action in order to prevent harm or minimize negative consequences.
Emotional impact: Fear, as a strong negative emotion, can have a profound impact on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It can create a sense of urgency and activate our emotional centres in the brain, which can drive us to take action to alleviate fear. The prospect of reward, on the other hand, may not elicit the same level of emotional intensity as fear and, therefore may not be as motivating.
In summary, the fear of harm can be a greater motivator than the prospect of reward due to our survival instinct, negativity bias, loss aversion, and the emotional impact of fear. It can create a sense of urgency, trigger our fight or flight response, and tap into our basic need for self-preservation, which can drive us to take action to avoid potential harm.