Interesting read on the successful experimentation of exploiting psychological quirks to influence public behavior backed up by using metrics and analytics similar to those used in casual game developement.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161006-how-a-few-words-can-make-people-hand-over-millions
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161006-how-a-few-words-can-make-people-hand-over-millions