Usability consulting and training with Human Factors International

Hyperbolic Discounting

People tend to prefer smaller payoffs now over larger payoffs later

That preference for instant gratification is human nature, but it’s also the reason why we have so much trouble saving for retirement or quitting unhealthy habits. Our brains are wired to prefer the immediate over the future. Behavioral economists refer to this psychological quirk as Hyperbolic Discounting.

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Dunning-Kruger Effect

People tend to think they have more knowledge or skill than they actually do

Coined in 1999 by then-Cornell psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the eponymous Dunning-Kruger Effect is a cognitive bias whereby people who are incompetent at something are unable to recognize their own incompetence. And not only do they fail to recognize their incompetence, they’re also likely to feel confident that they actually are competent.

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Chromatic Aberration

People find it difficult to read blue-on-red or red-on-blue text

The lenses in our eyes bend lights of different wavelengths by different degrees. As a result different coloured stimuli are projected at different spots on the retina, instead of converging at one spot. This is most noticeable for combinations of blue and red as they are at extreme ends of the visual spectrum. Blue on red or red on blue tends to blur or vibrate, making it difficult to read or view. This is called Chromatic Aberration.

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Zeigarnik Effect

People remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones

In the 1920s, Bluma Zeigarnik conducted studies to establish the Zeigarnik Effect. It is a psychological phenomenon describing a tendency to remember interrupted or incomplete tasks or events more easily than those that have been completed. To finish what we start is a human tendency. If something we’ve started is not completed, we experience dissonance, which keeps the unfinished task more prominent in our memory. Completion of the task provides closure, and a release of the tension.

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False Affordance

People get frustrated when objects do not behave the way they appear

A False Affordance is when something does not behave as its appearance suggests, like a chair that looks sturdy but is made of cardboard and likely to collapse when you sit on it. They trick us into expecting something different from what will actually happen, and can lead to doubt, confusion, mistakes and misunderstandings.

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Decidophobia

People find it difficult to make decisions when they are given too many options

Decidophobia or the Paradox of Choice is a psychological bias that occurs when we are overwhelmed by too many choices. Too many options mean that people are overloaded and less likely to select or purchase any of them. More options can lead to more enjoyment in choosing, but less satisfaction with the eventual choice.

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Contrast Principle

People find it easier to make decisions when they contrast or compare...

Contrast Principle or the Rule of Contrast explains how we build a perception of something based on its relativity to other available alternatives. Research shows that we constantly evaluate things in contrast with other things, and base our decisions on these comparisons. This holds true in many ways whether it is size, colour, temperature, taste, etc. This phenomenon is used widely as a persuasion tool.

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Mental Model

People get frustrated when objects are too displaced from their existing perception or past experience...

A Mental Model represents a person’s thought process for how something works (i.e., a person’s understanding of the surrounding world). Mental models are based on incomplete facts, past experiences, and even intuitive perceptions. They help shape actions and behavior, influence what people pay attention to in complicated situations, and define how people approach and solve problems. Mismatched mental models are common, especially with designs that try something new. Complying with pre-existing mental models as appropriate, while understanding that mental models are in flux, is extremely critical for the success of any design.

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Social Proof

People find it easier to make decisions when they have validation from other people...

The principle of Social Proof tells us that in moments of uncertainty, people get influenced by the actions and opinions of others. When a person is in a situation where they are unsure of the correct way to behave, they will often look to others for cues concerning the correct behavior, and are driven by the assumption that other people possess more knowledge or experience about the situation.

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Introducing the

A to Z of Design Science

Hyperbolic Discounting

Dunning-Kruger Effect

Chromatic Aberration

Zeigarnik Effect

False Affordance

Decidophobia

Contrast Principle

Mental Model

Social Proof