Our Purpose
Our purpose at Mato is to encourage commitment and motivate individuals to reach their goals. We create a platform where users can set objectives and make a deposit to commit to achieving them by offering a reward plus their initial investment, we keep users focused and driven.
Mato aims to contribute to a healthier and more educated society by helping people set measurable goals and motivating them stay on track.We want to offer people the opportunity to insure their goals by creating a platform where users can track their progress and work towards their objectives.
Psychological Triggers Behind Mato and why we think it can help
Loss Aversion
Analysis: Loss aversion, a key principle of prospect theory (Tversky & Kahneman, 1979), states that people are more motivated to avoid losses than to achieve equivalent gains. By asking participants to pay upfront, Mato triggers an emotional response: the fear of losing their money. This creates a powerful motivator for action because people instinctively work harder to protect what they perceive as already theirs.
Psychological Conclusion: Mato leverages the primal human fear of loss, turning passive intent (e.g., wanting to learn a skill or achieve a goal) into active commitment. The upfront fee acts as a psychological anchor that ties participants to their stated goal, increasing the likelihood of follow-through.
Incentive Motivation
Analysis: The promise of a tangible, financial reward taps into extrinsic motivation, which operates under the assumption that behavior is driven by external reinforcements (Deci & Ryan, 1985). This aligns with the behavioral principle of reinforcement, where the prospect of a reward reinforces goal-oriented actions.
Psychological Conclusion: The reward structure provides immediate clarity on the benefit of success, which appeals to the human tendency to act when incentives are explicit. By offering a 4x return, the perceived value of success is magnified, ensuring that participants perceive the effort as worthwhile.
Commitment and Consistency
Analysis: As outlined by Cialdini (1984) in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, once people make a public or financial commitment, they are more likely to act in ways consistent with that commitment to avoid cognitive dissonance. By setting a measurable goal and paying upfront, participants anchor their identity to the idea of achieving their goal.
Psychological Conclusion: The act of committing creates a psychological contract between the participant and Mato, reinforcing goal-driven behaviors. This dynamic is further amplified by the upfront investment, which forces participants to align their behavior with their financial and psychological commitment.
Endowment Effect
Analysis: The endowment effect describes the phenomenon where people value things they already own more highly than things they don’t yet possess (Thaler, 1980). By paying a fee, participants feel ownership over both the fee and the potential reward, motivating them to act to preserve and maximize their perceived value.
Psychological Conclusion: The upfront fee transforms the process into a deeply personal experience, where the participant feels they are not just pursuing a goal but protecting and enhancing something they “own.” This emotional connection enhances motivation.
Social Proof
Analysis: Humans are inherently social beings, and social proof taps into our desire to follow the actions of others to feel validated or reduce uncertainty (Cialdini, 1984). If participants see testimonials or data proving the system’s effectiveness, it reduces doubts about their ability to succeed.
Psychological Conclusion: Social proof could further amplify Mato’s appeal, turning the success of others into a persuasive argument for participation. This reinforces the belief that the goal is both achievable and desirable.
Delayed Gratification
Analysis: Mato encourages participants to delay short-term rewards (e.g., keeping their initial payment) in exchange for a greater, long-term reward (4x their investment). This ties into the famous Stanford Marshmallow Experiment (Mischel, 1972), which demonstrated that individuals who could delay gratification tended to achieve better outcomes in life.
Psychological Conclusion: Mato incentivizes participants to cultivate patience and discipline, crucial traits for personal growth. The system promotes a shift from impulsive behaviors to deliberate, goal-oriented action, aligning with the psychology of self-improvement.
Goal Setting Theory
Analysis: Locke and Latham’s Goal Setting Theory (1990) asserts that specific, measurable, and challenging goals lead to higher performance. Mato ensures that participants clearly define their goals, which creates focus, increases persistence, and enhances motivation.
Psychological Conclusion: The structure of Mato reinforces the psychological benefits of goal clarity and measurability, reducing ambiguity and empowering participants to take actionable steps toward success.
Gamification (Reward System)
Analysis: The gamification aspect of Mato—offering a reward for success—leverages the dopaminergic system. When participants see progress toward their goal or visualize the potential reward, their brains release dopamine, reinforcing positive behavior.
Psychological Conclusion: By framing personal growth as a “game” with tangible rewards, Mato transforms potentially mundane tasks into engaging, rewarding experiences. This keeps participants motivated even when intrinsic motivation wanes.
Sunk Cost Fallacy
Analysis: The sunk cost fallacy occurs when people continue investing effort in a task to justify a prior investment, even if rational analysis suggests stopping. While often seen as a bias, Mato reframes this tendency positively: once participants pay the fee, they feel compelled to complete their goal to “justify” their investment.
Psychological Conclusion: The upfront cost is psychologically significant—it ensures that participants feel they have something to lose if they quit. This reframing uses a common cognitive bias as a motivational tool.