“I don’t know of any unifying psychological theory that explains our problem with trivial inconveniences.”
I suspect it is simply the combination of uncertain outcome and an opportunity cost. If I’m surfing the web and meet a wall, why would I go through even a trivial effort, when I can just hit back and click the next link? Perhaps most don’t expect higher utility from reading a blocked page than another one.
“I don’t know of any unifying psychological theory that explains our problem with trivial inconveniences.”
I suspect it is simply the combination of uncertain outcome and an opportunity cost. If I’m surfing the web and meet a wall, why would I go through even a trivial effort, when I can just hit back and click the next link? Perhaps most don’t expect higher utility from reading a blocked page than another one.
I suspect it is a form of subtle “ancestral tribe police”.
Throwing trivial inconveniences at offenders is a good way to hint they are out of line, avoiding:
Direct confrontation, with risk of fuss and escalation.
Posing as authority, with risk of dedication or consequences.
Goofing on the tribe policy, as such enforcing requires repeating and consensus.
Misunderstandings, as a dim offender will eventually just give up with no need to understand.