| name | user-psychology |
| description | Master user psychology domain - understand decision-making, cognitive biases, behavioral patterns, motivation, adoption barriers. Use for designing features users will love, reducing friction, and predicting user behavior. |
| allowed-tools | Write |
| metadata | {"version":"2.0","claude-code":{"context":"fork","agent":"Explore","user-invocable":true}} |
User Psychology for BA
People are not rational. Design for how they actually behave.
What is User Psychology?
Definition: Understanding how people make decisions, what motivates them, what biases influence them, and what causes friction - the human factors in product adoption and use.
Why it matters:
- Features nobody uses: Built without understanding motivation
- High friction adoption: UX doesn't match how people think
- Resistance to change: Didn't anticipate psychological barriers
- Poor engagement: Doesn't align with user incentives
When to Use:
- ✅ Understanding why users do (or don't do) something
- ✅ Designing engagement and motivation
- ✅ Reducing adoption friction
- ✅ Managing change resistance
- ✅ Predicting user behavior
5 Core Psychology Concepts
1. Cognitive Biases: Why People Make Decisions They Do
People are predictably irrational.
CONFIRMATION BIAS:
People seek evidence supporting their existing belief
Impact: Users ignore warnings, skip steps they think unnecessary
Fix: Make required steps impossible to skip, not just recommended
LOSS AVERSION:
People fear losing what they have 2x more than gaining equivalent
Impact: Users resistant to change even if beneficial
Fix: Frame as "keep what's good, improve problem areas"
STATUS QUO BIAS:
People prefer things to stay the same
Impact: Users reluctant to adopt new features/products
Fix: Make switching easy (migration tools, training)
ANCHORING:
First number heard becomes reference point
Impact: First price offered anchors negotiation
Fix: Present realistic prices first
SUNK COST FALLACY:
People continue because they invested so much
Impact: Users reluctant to switch even to better solution
Fix: Reduce switching costs
CHOICE OVERLOAD:
Too many options paralyzes decision-making
Impact: Feature-rich UI prevents users from choosing anything
Fix: 3-5 options max, clear recommendations
See: references/cognitive-biases.md
2. Motivation: What Drives Behavior
People are motivated by different things.
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION (Internal rewards):
- Autonomy (control over choices)
- Mastery (getting better at something)
- Purpose (contributing to something meaningful)
→ Creates sustainable engagement
EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION (External rewards):
- Money, status, badges, recognition
→ Works short-term, fades over time
BEHAVIORAL DESIGN FRAMEWORK:
Action = Motivation + Ability + Trigger
Example: User completes task
- Motivation: Feels sense of progress (mastery)
- Ability: Task is easy enough to complete (design)
- Trigger: Notification reminds them (notification)
All three required for behavior to happen.
If missing one, behavior doesn't happen.
3. The Adoption Curve: Who Are Your Users?
People adopt at different rates.
ADOPTION DISTRIBUTION:
Innovators (2.5%):
- Love new technology
- Don't need convincing
- Will use for no reason
- Get them involved early
Early Adopters (13.5%):
- Will try new thing if it solves problem
- Influential opinion leaders
- Can drive adoption
- Build with their feedback
Early Majority (34%):
- Will adopt if proven to work
- Need evidence of value
- Need training/support
- Represent majority of growth
Late Majority (34%):
- Will adopt when necessary
- More skeptical, need clear ROI
- Require strong support
- Network effects matter (everyone has it)
Laggards (16%):
- Adopt only when forced
- Deeply resistant
- Need extensive training
- Often never fully adopt
BA Implication: Different segments need different strategies.
4. Friction Points: Why People Abandon Products
Users abandon when friction exceeds value.
Friction Equation:
Decision = Value - Friction - Risk
High Value + Low Friction + Low Risk = ✓ Users adopt
Example - Sign up for service:
Value: Saves 5 hours/week (High)
Friction: 15-minute setup (Low)
Risk: $100/month, can cancel anytime (Low)
→ Likely to adopt
Example - Switch email provider:
Value: Slightly better UI (Low)
Friction: Export/import data (Medium)
Risk: Lose existing contacts (High)
→ Unlikely to adopt despite better product
Common Friction Points:
- Data entry (long forms reduce completion 25% per field)
- Learning curve (confusing UI stops users)
- Setup complexity (multiple setup steps, 80% abandon after step 3)
- Password/authentication (friction increases if password reset required)
- Integration with existing workflows (requires behavior change)
5. Behavioral Triggers: How to Prompt Action
People need prompts to take action.
TRIGGER TYPES:
Spark (Motivation):
- "Get 2x more done with automation"
- Creates desire
Action (Ability):
- "Click here to start" (easy next step)
- Remove friction
Signal (Trigger):
- Notification, email, button
- Prompts remembering
COMPLETE LOOP:
1. Spark: Show value
2. Action: Make it easy
3. Signal: Send notification
4. Reward: Positive outcome → Habit forms
Example - Fitness App:
Spark: "You can beat your friend's step count" (motivation)
Action: One-click challenge (easy)
Signal: "Friend challenged you!" (trigger)
Reward: See your score vs theirs (positive)
→ User forms habit of checking daily
User Segments: Different Psychology, Different Design
Enterprise Users
Motivation: ROI, avoiding risk, doing job well
Biases: Loss aversion (resist change), status quo bias
Friction: Complex setup OK if justified
Triggers: Admin requirement, team nudging, metrics showing value
Design: Show business impact, risk mitigation, training
Consumer Users
Motivation: Convenience, delight, entertainment
Biases: Confirmation bias (only see what confirms choice)
Friction: Very low tolerance, quit immediately if confusing
Triggers: Social proof, FOMO, gamification
Design: Delightful, frictionless, shows progress
Power Users
Motivation: Mastery, control, advanced features
Biases: Sunk cost (invested time/learning), anchoring
Friction: Will tolerate complexity if more powerful
Triggers: New features, competitive leaderboards, mastery challenges
Design: Advanced features, customization, performance
Adoption Barriers & Solutions
BARRIER: "I don't understand the value"
Psychology: Feature complexity > perceived benefit
Solution: Show value clearly before asking to try
Simplify feature, or build tutorial
BARRIER: "It's too hard to use"
Psychology: Learning curve, cognitive load
Solution: Reduce steps, add guidance, build onboarding
Make first success easy
BARRIER: "I don't have time to learn"
Psychology: Time scarcity, habit inertia
Solution: Minimal learning curve, fits existing workflow
Show time savings upfront
BARRIER: "I don't trust it"
Psychology: Risk aversion, unknown unknowns
Solution: Show social proof, build gradually
Start with small stakes, low risk
Transparency about how it works
BARRIER: "It disrupts my workflow"
Psychology: Change aversion, loss of control
Solution: Minimize workflow change
Let them control pace of adoption
Support old way while transitioning
Tools & Templates
- 📋 User Persona Template:
assets/user-persona-template.md
- 📋 Jobs-to-be-Done Template:
assets/jtbd-template.md
- 📋 Adoption Barrier Assessment:
assets/adoption-barrier-template.md
- 📋 Behavioral Design Canvas:
assets/behavioral-design-canvas.md
- 📋 Friction Analysis Worksheet:
assets/friction-analysis-template.md
Usage Examples
/user-psychology "Why are users abandoning at step 3 of onboarding?"
/user-psychology "How do we design for late majority adopters?"
/user-psychology "What's preventing users from using Feature X?"
BA Standards & References
Based on:
- Behavioral Economics: Irrational decision-making patterns
- Cognitive Psychology: How people think, process information
- Change Management: Overcoming adoption resistance
- UX Psychology: Designing for human behavior
- Habit Formation: Building sustainable behaviors
Detailed Frameworks:
- 📚
references/cognitive-biases.md - 20+ biases and design implications
- 📚
references/motivation-framework.md - Intrinsic vs extrinsic, designing for sustainable engagement
- 📚
references/adoption-barriers.md - Common barriers and solutions
- 📚
references/behavioral-triggers.md - Prompting action and habit formation
- 📚
references/user-segments.md - Different psychology by user type
