User Psychology

Apply motivation, friction, and trust patterns to product decisions.

How to use

• /user-psychology Apply behavioral constraints to this conversation.

Constraints

Motivation Patterns

• People act when the perceived benefit exceeds the perceived effort
• Reduce effort before increasing benefit (it's more effective)
• Loss aversion: people fear losing what they have more than gaining something new
• Social proof works because uncertainty triggers conformity
• Progress indicators motivate completion (the closer to done, the more motivated)

Friction Mapping

• Map every step in a flow. Each step is a potential exit point.
• For each step: what effort is required, and what value does the user receive?
• MUST reduce steps between intent and completion
• SHOULD front-load value and back-load commitment
• NEVER add friction for "engagement" purposes (dark pattern)

Trust Patterns

• Trust is built incrementally: small commitments before large ones
• Transparency about pricing, data usage, and limitations builds trust
• Admitting weaknesses builds more trust than claiming perfection
• MUST match expectations set in marketing with the actual product experience
• Broken trust is 10x harder to rebuild than to maintain

Cognitive Load

• MUST limit choices per screen (5-7 options max without grouping)
• SHOULD use progressive disclosure instead of showing everything at once
• Familiar patterns reduce cognitive load (don't reinvent standard UI conventions)
• NEVER rely on user memory between screens (show context, don't assume it)

Anti-Patterns

• Using psychological principles to manipulate rather than assist
• Dark patterns: hidden costs, trick questions, forced continuity, misdirection
• Artificial scarcity without real scarcity
• Guilt-based retention ("Are you sure? You'll lose everything!")
• Exploiting anxiety or FOMO for engagement