Unequal rewards don't bother people as much when the rewards can't be counted.
In a series of nine experiments, mostly involving Chinese volunteers, researchers found that offering unequal rewards of cake (for example) provoked less dissatisfaction than unequal rewards of money for some arbitrary task.
Easily quantifiable rewards such as cash or frequent-flier miles enable people to focus all too easily on how much was received rather than on how enjoyable the reward is in itself, the researchers suggest, apart from its quantity.
Also, people who missed out on an imaginary "buy one, get one free" shampoo deal were more upset than those who missed out on the same shampoo bonus if it was packaged in a single larger bottle.
"The Countability Effect: Comparative versus Experiential Reactions to Reward Distributions," Jingjing Ma and Neal J. Roese, Journal of Consumer Research
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