Aesthetic Usability Effect

Users perceive aesthetically pleasing designs as easier to use.

After Heuristic

Users are influenced by their emotions when evaluating or making decisions.

Afterlife Effect

We recycle more when shown what the product will become.

Aggregation Effect

Negative experiences feel less painful overall when combined together.

Aha! Moment

When users first realize the product's value.

Analysis Paralysis

The capacity to process information and make decisions decreases each time a decision is made.

Analysis Paralysis

The capacity to process information and make decisions decreases each time a decision is made.

Attentional Bias

Users' minds filter what they pay attention to.

Authority Bias

Users tend to prioritize/listen to opinions from authority figures.

Autonomy Bias

We have a deep need to control our situations.

Availability Bias

Our judgments are greatly influenced by what comes to mind more easily.

Availability Heuristic

Users prefer the latest information over previous ones.

Backfire Effect

When people's beliefs are challenged, their beliefs become stronger.

Biophilia Effect

We are interested in living beings and become stressed if we are too separated from them.

Boundary Pricing

We are more likely to improve if the base price feels closer.

Cashless Effect

Users spend more when they don't see their money.

Centre-Stage Effect

People tend to choose the middle option in a set of choices.

Certainty Effect

We crave clarity about opportunities and make costly sacrifices to obtain it.

Cheerleader Effect

Individual items appear more attractive when presented in a group.

Choice-Supportive Bias

We remember more positive aspects of our choices than the negative ones.

Chunking

We process information better when it's presented in small groups.

Cognitive Dissonance

It is very painful to hold two conflicting ideas in mind.

Curse of Knowledge

Unaware that people do not have the same level of knowledge.

Cognitive Load

The total amount of mental effort required when completing a task.

Collection Bias

We have an emotional need to collect related sets of items.

Commitment

After we make a public statement, we make consistent decisions to support it.

Competition

We struggle with and against each other for limited resources and status.

Confirmation Bias

We seek information that supports our existing beliefs and ignore what does not.

Contrast Effect

We remember products that stand out from their environment better.

Curiosity Effect

We are driven to seek missing information that fills the gaps in our knowledge.

Decision Fatigue

Making too many decisions reduces the user's ability to make rational choices.

Decoy Effect

We’re more likely to choose option B over A when option C is added — making B appear more attractive by comparison.

Default Effect

We tend to accept options that are pre-selected for us.

Delay Discounting

We tend to choose a smaller, immediate reward over a larger one that requires waiting.

Delighters

People remember unexpected and delightful moments more vividly.

Devil Effect

Our perception of one negative attribute unfairly spills over into unrelated areas.

Discoverability

The ease with which users can find something.

Door In The Face

We’re more likely to agree to a smaller request after first rejecting a larger one.

Dunning-Kruger

People tend to overestimate their abilities when they know very little.

Dynamic Norms

We are more likely to change if we can see the new behavior develop.

Empathy Gap

People underestimate how much emotions affect user behavior.

Endowed Progress Effect

We reach our goals faster when we have help getting started.

Entourage Effect

Our status increases when we share our VIP treatment.

Expectation Bias

People tend to be influenced by their own expectations.

External Trigger

When information about what to do next is provided within the prompt itself.

False Consensus

People overestimate how many others agree with them.

Familiarity Bias

People prefer experiences they are familiar with.

Fast & Slow Thinking

People tend to be influenced by their own expectations.

Feed Forward

When users know what to expect before taking action.

Feedback Loop

When users take action, feedback communicates what happens next.

Fitt’s Law

The larger, the easier to target.

Flow State

Fully immersed and focused on the task.

Fluency Shortcut

Statements that are easier to understand are more trusted.

Foot In The Door

Making a small commitment now makes us more likely to agree to a larger commitment later.

Framing

We make very different decisions depending on how the facts are presented.

Fresh Start Effect

We’re more likely to stick to habits formed at the beginning of a new time period.

Goal Gradient

Our effort increases the closer we get to completing a task.

Goal Priming

When we’re reminded of our goals, we’re more motivated to achieve them.

Halo Effect

We incorrectly transfer judgments of known attributes to unrelated or unknown ones.

Hedonic Adaptation

We feel less pleasure from gains and less discomfort from losses over time.

Hick’s Law

The more choices, the harder it is to decide.

Hindsight Bias

People consider themselves brilliant after being proven right about something.

Humor Effect

We are more motivated and remember things that make us laugh.

Hyperbolic Discounting

People prioritize immediate rewards over greater long-term benefits.

If-Then Plans

If in this scenario, we plan to do that, we're more likely to achieve our goals.

IKEA Effect

We disproportionately pay more for something we helped create.

In-Group Bias

We tend to like our own group more than others.

Internal Trigger

When users take action based on memory.

Investment Loops

When users invest themselves, they will return.

Juxtaposition

Elements that are close and similar are perceived as a whole.

Labor Illusion

People value something more when they see the work behind it.

Law of Instrument

If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Law of Pragnanz

Users interpret ambiguous images in the simplest and most complete form.

Law of Proximity

Elements that are close to each other are usually perceived as related.

Law of Similarity

Users perceive a connection between elements that look similar.

Limited Access

We place greater value on things when barriers are placed around them.

Limited Choice

We are more likely to decide when options are wisely limited.

Loss Aversion

We feel worse about losing something than we feel good about gaining it.

Mere Exposure Effect

We tend to prefer things because they become more familiar to us.

Metaphorical Shortcut

New or complex ideas are easier to understand through existing ones.

Method of Loci

People remember more things when associated with a specific location.

Miller’s Law

Users can only hold 5 ± 2 items in their memory.

Negativity Bias

Users remember negative events more than positive ones.

Nostalgia Effect

Thinking about the past makes us want to spend more in the present.

Nudge

Subtle cues can capture attention and influence user decisions.

Occam’s Razor

Simpler solutions are often better than complex ones.

Odor Priming

We’re willing to pay more when we smell something pleasant.

Ownership Bias

We value things more when we feel ownership over them.

Pareto Principle

Roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.

Parkinson’s Law

Tasks expand to fill the time available for their completion.

Peak-End Rule

We remember an experience by its peak moments and how it ended.

Picture Superiority Effect

We remember images better than words.

Planning Fallacy

People tend to underestimate how much time a task will take.

Present Bias

What we want now often goes against what we aspire to in the future.

Priming

Our decisions are shaped by memories triggered by things we’ve just seen or heard.

Product-Person Bias

We seek and value human connections within our products.

Progressive Disclosure

Users won’t feel overwhelmed if complex features are introduced gradually.

Provide Exit Point

Invite users to exit at the appropriate context.

Pseudo-Set Framing

Grouped tasks are more enticing to complete.

Reactance

We tend to do the opposite of what’s asked when pushed too hard.

Reciprocity

We are wired to return the kindness we receive.

Reciprocity Decay

Our urge to give back quickly fades over time.

Recognition Over Recall

It’s easier to recognize than to recall from memory.

Rewards

We change our behavior when given rewards that reinforce actions and goals.

Rhyme As Reason Effect

Statements that rhyme often seem more truthful.

Risk Aversion

We dislike uncertainty and tend to stick with what we know.

Round Pricing Preference

We prefer and trust round numbers over those ending in 9.

Salience

Our choices are influenced by the information presented to us.

Scarcity

We value things more when they are limited in availability.

Segregation Effect

Positive experiences feel better overall when spaced out over time.

Selective Attention

People filter out things around them when they’re focused.

Self-Initiated Trigger

Users are more likely to engage when the action is triggered by themselves.

Self-Serving Bias

People credit themselves for positive events and blame others for negative ones.

Sensory Appeal

Users are more engaged with things that appeal to multiple senses.

Serial Position Effect

We are most likely to remember the first and last items in a list.

Shaping

Gradually reinforcing actions to approach the desired behavior.

Signifier

Elements that communicate what actions are possible.

Skeuomorphism

Users adapt more easily to things that resemble real-world objects.

Social Proof

We mimic others’ behavior, especially in unfamiliar situations.

Spacing Effect

We remember things better when they’re repeated over time and across contexts.

Spark Effect

Users are more likely to take action when the effort required is small.

Spotlight Effect

People tend to believe they are noticed more than they actually are.

Status

We continuously look for ways to improve how others perceive us.

Status Quo Bias

We tend to stick with our previous choices, even if alternatives might be better.

Storyteller Bias

We are more persuaded by and remember those who tell stories.

Storytelling Effect

People remember stories better than facts.

Sunk Cost Bias

We cannot let go of our past bad investments, even if it makes sense to do so.

Surprise Effect

We respond well to positive, unexpected personal gestures.

Survey Bias

Users tend to direct their answers toward socially acceptable responses.

Survivorship Bias

People overlook things that didn’t survive the selection process.

Temptation Bundling

We are more likely to do difficult tasks when combined with enjoyable ones.

Temptation Coupling

Hard tasks are acceptable if they are truly necessary.

Tesler’s Law

If we simplify designs too much, we end up transferring complexity to the users.

Time Scarcity

We are more likely to take action when time is running out.

Tiny Habits

We are more likely to achieve goals when they are broken down into smaller tasks.

Unit Bias

One unit of something feels like the optimal amount.

Visual Anchor

Visual elements are used to guide and give cues to the user's eyes.

Visual Hierarchy

The order in which people view what they see.

Von Restorff Effect

People remember something that stands out more.

Waber’s Law

Users adapt better to gradual, small changes.

Zeigarnik Effect

Unfinished tasks occupy our mind until completed.

Zero Price Bias

We value something more when it is free rather than very cheap.