Aronson & Mills (1959): The more painful the initiation, the more valuable the prize
In 1959, Elliot Aronson and Judson Mills conducted a landmark experiment that defied economic logic. They discovered that people who endure severe initiations to join a group end up liking the group more than those who face mild or no initiations—even when the group is objectively boring and disappointing.
This finding contradicts the Law of Least Effort: we should prefer goals that require less work. Instead, difficulty creates value through cognitive dissonance.
Choose your initiation condition to join a "sex discussion group":
You're welcomed directly into the group with no requirements.
✓ You've joined the discussion group!
Please read these words aloud to join the group:
You must read these explicit words and passages aloud:
Effort justification explains why difficult experiences increase perceived value: