fogg-behavior-model

name	fogg-behavior-model
description	Design behavior change using the B=MAP framework. Use when designing onboarding flows, improving conversion, building habits, increasing feature adoption, or understanding why users don't take desired actions.

Fogg Behavior Model - B = MAP

The Fogg Behavior Model explains that three elements must converge at the same moment for a behavior to occur: Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt. When a behavior does not occur, at least one of these elements is missing.

When to Use This Skill

• Designing onboarding and activation flows
• Improving conversion rates
• Building habit-forming products
• Increasing feature adoption
• Understanding why users drop off
• Planning behavior change interventions

The B = MAP Formula

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    BEHAVIOR = MAP                                │
│                                                                  │
│    Behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and Prompt        │
│    come together at the SAME MOMENT.                            │
│                                                                  │
│    When behavior doesn't happen → at least one is missing.      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

    High  │                    ·····
    M     │              ·····     Behavior
    o     │        ·····           Happens
    t     │   ·····                Here
    i     │····─────────────────────────────
    v     │   Action Line
    a     │
    t     │        Behavior
    i     │        Fails
    o     │        Here
    n     │
    Low   └─────────────────────────────────────
              Hard ←── Ability ──→ Easy

    Prompts only work above the Action Line.

The Three Elements

1. Motivation

What drives the user to act?

Motivation Sources:

Core Motivators (Fogg):
├── Pleasure / Pain
├── Hope / Fear
└── Social Acceptance / Rejection

Additional Drivers:
├── Intrinsic interest
├── Personal goals
├── External rewards
└── Social pressure

Motivator	Low	High
Pleasure/Pain	"I should exercise"	"I want to feel great"
Hope/Fear	"Might be useful"	"Don't want to miss out"
Social	"No one cares"	"Everyone's doing it"

2. Ability

How easy is it to do?

Ability Factors (Fogg):

Simplicity Chain (weakest link determines ability):
├── Time: How long does it take?
├── Money: How much does it cost?
├── Physical effort: How hard physically?
├── Mental effort: How much thinking?
├── Social deviance: How weird is it?
└── Non-routine: How different from habits?

Ability = Inverse of the HARDEST factor

Factor	Low Ability	High Ability
Time	30-minute signup	2-click signup
Money	$99/month	Free trial
Physical	Visit store	Click button
Mental	Complex form	Smart defaults
Social	Public commitment	Private action
Routine	New behavior	Fits existing habit

3. Prompt

What triggers action at the right moment?

Prompt Types:

Spark (High Ability, Low Motivation):
├── Inspires and motivates
├── Appeals to emotions
└── Example: "Your friends are waiting"

Facilitator (High Motivation, Low Ability):
├── Makes action easier
├── Reduces friction
└── Example: "One-click purchase"

Signal (High Motivation, High Ability):
├── Simple reminder
├── Just needs timing
└── Example: "Time to check in"

Behavior Diagnosis Framework

Step 1: Define Target Behavior

Be specific about what you want users to do:

Behavior Definition:

❌ Vague: "Use the app more"
✅ Specific: "Complete a 5-minute workout daily"

Components:
├── Who: [Target user segment]
├── What: [Specific action]
├── When: [Timing/context]
└── How often: [Frequency]

Step 2: Diagnose Missing Element

Diagnosis Tree:

Is the user doing the behavior?
│
├── NO → Diagnose which element is missing:
│   │
│   ├── Do they WANT to do it?
│   │   ├── NO → Motivation problem
│   │   └── YES → Continue
│   │
│   ├── CAN they easily do it?
│   │   ├── NO → Ability problem
│   │   └── YES → Continue
│   │
│   └── Are they PROMPTED at the right moment?
│       ├── NO → Prompt problem
│       └── YES → Re-examine all three
│
└── YES → Behavior successful

Step 3: Design Intervention

Problem	Solution Approach
Low Motivation	Increase desire (spark prompt)
Low Ability	Reduce friction (facilitator prompt)
No Prompt	Add well-timed trigger (signal prompt)
Multiple issues	Start with Ability (easiest to change)

Output Template

After completing analysis, document as:

## Behavior Design Analysis

**Target Behavior:** [Specific behavior]

**User Segment:** [Who]

**Date:** [Date]

### Current State

| Element    | Score (1-5) | Evidence              |
| ---------- | ----------- | --------------------- |
| Motivation | [Score]     | [What indicates this] |
| Ability    | [Score]     | [What indicates this] |
| Prompt     | [Score]     | [What indicates this] |

### Ability Breakdown

| Factor   | Current State | Bottleneck? |
| -------- | ------------- | ----------- |
| Time     | [Assessment]  | Yes/No      |
| Money    | [Assessment]  | Yes/No      |
| Physical | [Assessment]  | Yes/No      |
| Mental   | [Assessment]  | Yes/No      |
| Social   | [Assessment]  | Yes/No      |
| Routine  | [Assessment]  | Yes/No      |

### Diagnosis

**Primary Issue:** [Motivation/Ability/Prompt]

**Root Cause:** [Specific reason]

### Intervention Design

| Priority | Change            | Element | Expected Impact      |
| -------- | ----------------- | ------- | -------------------- |
| 1        | [Specific change] | [M/A/P] | [Measurable outcome] |
| 2        | [Specific change] | [M/A/P] | [Measurable outcome] |

### Success Metrics

| Metric          | Current | Target | Timeline |
| --------------- | ------- | ------ | -------- |
| [Behavior rate] | X%      | Y%     | [Time]   |

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Daily Exercise Habit

Target Behavior: Do a 20-minute workout daily

Motivation:
├── Want to get fit ✓
├── Feel better ✓
└── Score: 4/5 (High)

Ability:
├── Time: 20 min → Could be less
├── Physical: Moderate effort
├── Mental: Need to decide what to do
├── Routine: Not part of current habits
└── Score: 2/5 (Low - bottleneck)

Prompt:
├── No consistent trigger
└── Score: 2/5 (Low)

Interventions:
├── Ability: Reduce to 5-minute starter routine
├── Ability: Pre-select workout (no decisions)
├── Prompt: Phone alarm + clothes laid out
└── Routine: Anchor to morning coffee

Example 2: Feature Adoption (SaaS)

Target Behavior: Use new collaboration feature

Motivation:
├── Users don't see value yet
└── Score: 2/5 (Low - problem)

Ability:
├── Feature is buried in menu
├── Requires 4 clicks to access
└── Score: 2/5 (Low - problem)

Prompt:
├── One email announcement sent
└── Score: 1/5 (Very low)

Interventions:
├── Motivation: Show social proof ("Teams save 2hrs/week")
├── Ability: Add one-click access from dashboard
├── Ability: Pre-configure with defaults
├── Prompt: In-app tooltip at relevant moment
└── Prompt: Contextual suggestion during related tasks

Example 3: Newsletter Signup

Target Behavior: Subscribe to weekly newsletter

Motivation:
├── Valuable content promised
├── Social proof: "10,000 subscribers"
└── Score: 3/5 (Medium)

Ability:
├── Email only (simple)
├── One field
└── Score: 5/5 (High)

Prompt:
├── Popup after 30 seconds
├── User often not ready yet
└── Score: 2/5 (Wrong timing)

Intervention:
├── Prompt: Move to end of valuable article
├── Prompt: "Want more like this?"
└── Context: After user received value

Design Principles

Start with Ability

Why Ability First:

Motivation:
├── Hard to change
├── Often outside your control
└── Fluctuates over time

Ability:
├── Directly designable
├── Permanent once improved
└── Helps when motivation dips

"Make it so easy they can't say no."

Right Prompt, Right Moment

Prompt Timing:

Too Early:
├── User not ready
├── Creates annoyance
└── Wasted impression

Too Late:
├── Moment passed
├── Motivation cooled
└── Friction accumulated

Just Right:
├── High motivation moment
├── Ability is present
└── Action is natural next step

Tiny Habits Approach

BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits:

1. Make it TINY
   └── Smallest possible version of behavior

2. Find the right ANCHOR
   └── Existing habit to attach to

3. Celebrate IMMEDIATELY
   └── Positive emotion reinforces

Formula: "After I [ANCHOR], I will [TINY BEHAVIOR]"

Example: "After I pour my coffee, I will do 2 pushups"

Behavior Types

Type	Motivation	Ability	Focus
Green	High	High	Just add prompt
Blue	High	Low	Increase ability
Purple	Low	High	Increase motivation
Gray	Low	Low	Major redesign needed

Integration with Other Methods

Method	Combined Use
Hooked Model	Fogg explains the trigger/action phase
Cognitive Load	Ability = inverse of cognitive load
Loss Aversion	Powerful motivation lever
Curiosity Gap	Motivation through information gaps
Five Whys	Why isn't behavior happening?

Quick Reference

B = MAP CHECKLIST

Motivation Boosters:
□ Clear value proposition
□ Social proof present
□ Loss framing considered
□ Personalized relevance
□ Emotional connection

Ability Enhancers:
□ Minimum steps possible
□ Smart defaults set
□ No unnecessary fields
□ Mobile-friendly
□ Fits existing routines

Prompt Optimization:
□ Right type for situation
□ Appears at right moment
□ Clear call to action
□ Not interruptive
□ Contextually relevant

Resources

• BJ Fogg's Behavior Model
• Tiny Habits - BJ Fogg
• Hooked - Nir Eyal
• Atomic Habits - James Clear