Firms have since long given their regular customers special treatment. With the help of IT, many firms have established formal ways to do this. An example is a so-called customer rewards program (CRP), by which the firm rewards the customer for repeated purchase. Firms allocate large resources in these programs with millions of customers enrolled. Hence, it seems important that the CRP works effectively. By effective we mean that it increases sales. Whether it is effective or not is a matter of how it is designed. A CRP typically comes with membership levels. We study how many membership levels the firm should offer in an effective program. We also study if customers prefer individual or group rewards and whether a CRP can break and create habitual purchasing behavior. In the study, we also analyze under what conditions the customer prefers a CRP over a sales promotion. In general, the study adds to the understanding of Customer Rewards Programs as an incentive structure. There are many different ways to design these incentives and especially the continuing development of IT is expected to influence the future design and role of these types of programs. This study is part of the Swedish Research School of Management and Information Technology (MIT) which is one of 16 national research schools supported by the Swedish Government. MIT is jointly operated by the following institutions: Blekinge Institute of Technology, Gotland University College, Jönköping International Business School, Karlstad University, Linköping University, Lund University, Mälardalen University College, Stockholm University, Växjö University, Örebro University, IT University of Göteborg, and Uppsala University, host to the research school. At the Swedish Research School of Management and Information Technology (MIT), research is conducted, and doctoral education provided, in three fields: management information systems, business administration, and informatics.

就一般心理學的研究而言，生理心理學（physiology psychology）主要是以動物為受試，著重在以個體為主的行為與神經機制的探討；而社會心理學（social psychology）則以人類為受試，偏重以團體互動為主的社會行為研究，兩者誠屬於不同研究取向的學門。本研究的主要動機是希望證實動物模式的確可以用來探討某些社會行為現象，並証實動物研究中應考量團體因素的影響效果。本研究以大白鼠為受試，分別採長期單獨飼養、配對飼養及四隻團體飼為養，用以操弄受試不同程度的團體互動經驗，以探討不同飼養方式對個體行為表現及對葯物效果的影響。此外，並藉由操作式制約行為探討社會助長的成響因，以及確立社會閒散現象的存在。研究結果證實不同的飼養方式的確會影響大白鼠的基本生理指標及固定比率操作式制約行為，致使行為表現呈現單獨飼養組大於配對飼養組，且配對飼養組大於團體飼養組的現象。另外，不同飼養方式與安非他命葯物間有顯著的交互作用效果。實驗中透過大白鼠操作式行為的探討，發現只有在團體飼養組才有社會助長現在的存在，驗證了社會助長現象的確與個體的成長背景有關。此外，研究中亦發現社會閒散現象的確存在於某些飼養方式及制約作業之中，證實動物模式中亦有社會閒散的現象。由上述結論建議可以使用動物模式進行某些社會行為的研究，除了探討其社會行為的成因外，亦可瞭解此社會行為是否具有其特定的生理機制；此外，從事有關神經化學、生理或葯理研究的學者，也應將社會因素或團體因素帶入動物行為研究的考量因素之中。