Episode 393: Loss Aversion and Player Psychology

Recorded at Metatopia 2025

Presented by Geoff EngelsteinLoss aversion is a core effect in human psychology. Simply stated, losses make people feel worse than gains make them feel better. In other words, the negative emotions from losing $100 are stronger than the positive emotions from gaining $100; about twice as strong according to a variety of experiments. The fundamental aspect of loss aversion to human psychology is very deep, and touches a wide variety of phenomena, most of which are directly relevant to game design.