In the digital age, persuasive technology has been an increasingly popular tool for businesses and organizations looking for behavior change. From fitness apps motivating users to exercise more, to an e-commerce website persuading customers to simply make any purchase, persuasive technology crosses their way. But what really makes these technologies tick? The answer lies in user psychology.
User psychology deals with studying how people think, feel, and behave concerning the use of technology. The underlying principles of user psychology are very helpful in creating more persuasive technologies that could change people's behaviors, which businesses and organizations need. This article presents some established principles of user psychology that greatly explain how to apply these principles in persuasive technology.
Cognitive Biases
Cognitive biases are the mental shortcuts our brains use to fasten up the process of making decisions. These biases sometimes help and sometimes harm. Cognitive biases in the case of persuasive technology can be exploited by businesses and organizations to nudge users towards performing a specific behavior. For example, the concept of scarcity is used by online retailers to make the customers think that they have to hurry, hence convincing them to buy the products.
Motivation
Motivation is a major drive of behavioral change. In a bid to motivate users, it is important that persuasive technology exploits or appeals to their intrinsic or internal motivation. A fine example is that physical activity apps can make use of social comparison to get their subscribers exercising more by comparing their activity level to that of their peers.
Habit Formation
In the process of habit formation, the repetitive performance of the behavior that was previously deliberate becomes learned, usually through repetition and reward. Persuasive technology can, therefore, be used in forming desirable habits among its users through frequent reminders and rewards on desirable behavior. For example, an app tracking the development of a habit will remind one to perform a new habit and reward one for performing a habit consistently.
User psychology is a very useful instrument for companies and organizations willing to influence changes in behavior through persuasive technology. If the business understands the principles of cognitive biases, motivation, and the formation of habits, it will design more efficient technologies that elicit actions. By integrating user psychology into design, businesses will be able to engage and influence more effective ways of user experiences that drive long-term behavior change.